Summer Holiday: Play dough

This afternoon we played with play dough (playdoh) and I was reminded of the fine motor benefits of playing with play dough and all the different things you can do.

First off play dough is fairly cheap to play with - you can make it yourself and make lots of different colours, textures very easily, plus you don't need any fancy tools as you can use your hands and other household objects to mould it.

Fine motor activities with play dough:

• roll into tiny balls using the palms of the hands facing each other and using only the finger tips
• make designs using toothpicks
• practice cutting using plastic scissors
• practice using a knife and fork to cut it up
• knead the dough
• stick small objects into dough and pull them out
• poke holes in it
• squeeze it
• press it flat
• pinch it (pastry pinches)
• roll into a sausage using palms
• make models
• use cutters
• squeeze in garlic press
• play with paydough tools eg spagetti making tool, rollers, molds

Most importantly - have fun.