Candy cane play dough sensory play

Play dough is a wonderful sensory material that offers endless play possibilities and an opportunity to develop important fine motor skills and hand and wrist strength. Let’s have fun with candy cane-themed play dough!

 

 

Candy cane play dough sensory play

 

 

This article is one of our Christmas sensory play activities and part of our Christmas activities and crafts for children.

 

Materials needed:

:: red and white play dough

:: peppermint extract

:: red and white loose parts such as pom poms, buttons, dried pasta, bottle tops and cookie cutters

 

You can use store-bought play dough or make your own using the recipe below. Either way, knead in a drop of peppermint extract to make your play dough candy cane-scented.

 

 

 

Set out your play dough along with a selection of loose parts. ‘Loose parts’ simply means moveable materials that children can use in their play. They might be bought materials, upcycled from the recycling bin or found, natural objects. You don’t need to think about how the children might use the materials – leave that to them. Provide the loose parts, step back, and see what happens. They might surprise you with their imaginations and create things you would never have dreamed up!

 

 

 

One exercise you might like to introduce is to make candy canes from the play dough. Take a small ball of red and one of white play dough and roll it out into a long sausage shape.

 

 

Then place the red and the white rolls together and twist them to form the swirling stripes of a candy cane. This manipulation of the play dough with fingers and hands is a very beneficial exercise in fine motor skills, helping children to develop their dexterity, ready to later hold pencils and write.

 

 

 

Homemade play dough recipe

Homemade playdough is very easy to make. Try this no-cook recipe:

In a large bowl add:

:: 2 cups flour

:: 1 cup salt

:: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

:: and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar.

Boil the kettle and pour 1 1/2 cups of the water into your mixture, along with any food colouring you would like.

Mix and knead to form a dough, and then you are ready to play.