Here’s a super easy, quick and creative idea for a kids craft that’s fun to make and even better to play with – tea party puppets!
Here’s a super easy, quick and creative idea for a kids craft that’s fun to make and even better to play with – tea party puppets!
I made this lemon play dough recipe while we were away at the beach. It’s perfect for seaside sensory play with some lovely shells.
Here’s the recipe.
Sandcastle messy play with a homemade cloud dough recipe is perfect for summer days when you can’t get to the real beach – or when you want a relaxing sensory playtime in the shade of your own home.
Here’s the recipe:
Click to play on the video above to see our sensory tub masterclass. You’ll learn how to make a sensory tub for your children using simple materials, the benefits of sensory tubs for children, and how to use a sensory tub to teach children about math, literacy, science and fine motor skills.
You’ll also see lots of ideas for sensory tub fillings plus find out how to get great printables to add to your tubs. Subscribe to NurtureStore’s YouTube channel to get more sensory play videos!
Cloud dough is one of the recipes in my e-book The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book.
It’s very easy to make and a totally different sensory experience to traditional play dough.
To make it, you will need:
4 cups of flour
1 cup of oil (we most often use baby oil, to get a lovely fragrance)
glitter is optional, but we like some extra sparkle!
All you need to do is combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix…
until it combines and gives you a texture that looks like you’re about to make pastry.
But… give the cloud dough a squish with your hand and you’ll see how it comes together and holds its shape! So cool!
My girls find it irresistible. It’s such a touchy-feely material to play with.
Be aware that this is messy play (that’s half the fun , isn’t it) – although I find the clean up afterwards is quick and easy.
I wouldn’t try it in a room with a carpet, but it sweeps up fine from my kitchen floor.
The squishing is so much fun and as the dough holds its shape it’s perfect for making sandcastles.
I set out some scoops and bowls in different sizes and we had our own homemade mini beach!
The girls made some flags for their sandcastles {from toothpicks and tissue paper} to go on top. You can add little people and a little square of fabric and set up a picnic day out on the beach.
Here’s a sunshine play dough recipe idea that’s great for sensory play for summer and the solstice.
My girls say this strawberry jello play dough recipe smells like sweeties and lollipops! The recipe makes a great textured dough which, added to a tray of loose parts, can turn into an afternoon of fantastic creative play.
Click play on the video above to see our playdough masterclass.
This video gives you everything you ever wanted to know about play dough: how to make homemade playdough with quick and easy recipes; the benefits of playdough for children; and lots of sensory play activities using play dough including playdough math activities, playdough literacy activities, and playdough fine motor skills activities.
Plus find out how to get printable playdough recipe cards and printable play mats. It’s an excellent beginners guide to play dough!
Subscribe to NurtureStore’s YouTube channel to get more gardening and nature study videos!
We used my favourite easy play dough recipe to make this dough, but swapped the water for some un-set strawberry jello (jelly to fellow UK readers), and adding in some extra flour – see the recipe below.
We first made up the jello according to the packet instructions – which was great fun and perfect for practicing scissor skills.
Then we adapted the easy play dough recipe and used:
3 cups plain / all purpose flour (more flour than usual as the jello changes the mixture – have some extra in case you need more)
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups jello liquid
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Mix it all together in a large bowl to form a dough, and you’re ready to play
We had three generations of our family joining in this playtime, including Grandma and my one-year-old nephew, who was having his first introduction to the delights of dough!
One of the great things about play dough is that it’s such a versatile material that anyone, of any age, can play and create with it.
I set out a tray of red and pink loose parts:
:: drinking straws
:: painted pasta pieces
:: cup cake cases
:: bottle tops and lids
:: blocks
:: some fridge magnet alphabet letters.
Anything goes really!
The idea with loose parts is to just provide a selection of different and interesting materials, then everyone can dive in and use them however their imagination suggests.
The possibilities are endless! You might make a birthday cake…
or try some printing…
roll out some tracks…
discover that penne makes a fab zigzag shape…
or create a three dimensional sculpture.
Whatever the children make with the play dough and loose parts, they will be:
:: expressing their thoughts creatively
:: developing fine motor skills and nimble fingers
:: exploring shapes, dimensions and mathematical ideas
:: benefiting from the sensory pleasure of the dough, which feels and especially smells fantastic
:: joining in a whole group activity but with the opportunity to do their own thing
:: having fun!
Here’s a super easy DIY craft recipe that shows you how to make clay (that’s actually more like an air-drying dough) and turn it in to some beautiful butterflies.