Playdough is Not Just For Rolling!
Playdough is magical. It is soft, squishy, and moldable. Playdough can be transformed into a versatile educational tool for kids of all ages with a little creativity and some household items.
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Playdough is a great way to spice up your routine. It can be used to entertain kids on a rainy day, to calm them down for sensory-sensitive children, or to simply change things up. The best part is? These activities are easy to do, low-cost, and fun.
Here’s a reminder before we get into the ideas: You can make your playdough easily at home. This playdough is easy to make, takes only a few moments, uses pantry items, and is soft and safe for children’s hands.
Let’s now explore 16 sensory-rich, creative, and educational activities that go beyond the basic snake or ball.
Add Texture, Shape, and Discovery to Loose Parts Play
The idea behind loose parts play is to give children open-ended materials and they can manipulate, combine, nd move. These items encourage imagination, experimentation, and problem-solving.

1. Seashell Impressions and Beachy Creations
Mixing up a batch of sand-coloured dough will transport your child to the beach. You can add a bit of cinnamon or coffee, as well as beige food colorant for a beachy tone. Combine it with seashells from the beach or a craft store and watch your child press the shells into playdough to create seascapes and intricate impressions.
You want to go one step further? Invite your child to build an entire beach ecosystem by adding small pebbles and toy sea animals.
2. Patterns of Seed and Grain
Offer a variety of grains and seeds in small bowls for a sensory experience. You can use chickpeas or sunflower seeds as well as lentils, popcorn kernels, and pine nuts. These can be pressed into the dough by children to create mandala patterns, imaginary scenes, or tactile mosaics.
This activity introduces children to the concepts of pattern recognition and symmetry.
3. Sparkly night sky play
Playdough in black or dark blue creates a galactic atmosphere. Glitter, metallic sequins, and star-shaped confetti are great additions. Children can make constellations, planets, and launch rockets on space missions.
When paired with an adventure story or a tale about space or stars, this activity is a great way to wind down before bed.
4. Forest Patterns and Nature Stamps
Collect seed pods and other natural objects on your next nature walk. You can press these natural objects into playdough and create fascinating patterns. Ty bring out the texture, use a lighter colored dough.
This activity encourages children to be mindful and helps them notice the details of nature.
Imaginative Play: Let their creativity soar
Playdough is great for pretend play, which is a crucial part of social, emotional, and cognitive development.
5. Let’s Play Dentist!
Playdough in pink is a good substitute for “gum”. For “teeth,” form a jaw and insert mini marshmallows or white beads. To “clean” the teeth of their patients, kids can use a toy toothbrush, toy tweezers, or even floss picks.
This is a fun way to teach dental health and ease anxiety about dentist appointments.
6. Knife and Fork Practice
Help your child create a fun meal by forming it out of playdough. It can be spaghetti, vegetables, sausage, or sushi. After the meal is served, children can practice using (child-safe) knives and forks.
This helps to develop fine motor skills while also reinforcing independence and table manners.
7. Ice Cream Shop Role Play
Create “flavors” with colourful doughs. Offer scoops, cones made from paper (or real waffle cones), or small containers. Create or download printable menus that allow kids to choose or price their treats. Add buttons or pom poms to sprinkles or cherries.
This type of role play helps to develop social skills, language, and numeracy.
8. Planting a Playdough garden
Egg cartons can be used as miniature garden beds. Fill each section of the egg carton with green or brown Play-Doh. Then “plant” flowers with artificial flowers, straws with paper flowers, or even pipe cleaners. Encourage children to create their floral arrangements or design their ideal garden.
Combine this story with other stories that focus on seasons, plants, or insects to extend the learning.

Playdough Printables: Fun Learning Made Easy
Printables turn learning into a tactile, hands-on experience. You can reuse the sheets by laminating them or placing them in clear plastic sleeves.
9. Alphabet Mats
The mats are shaped like letters and show the children how to make them using rolled-out dough. It reinforces early writing and letter recognition through a fun sensory experience.
To help build phonemic awareness, use colored dough to distinguish between vowels and consonants.
10. Number Mats
The number mats are great for helping children to recognize and form numerals, count objects, and match quantities with numerals. Pair them with craft items or small counters for additional learning.
Asking questions such as “Can you make 5 balls of dough that match the number five?” can help to enhance the learning process.
11. Petal Counting Flowers
Printing flowers with numbered centers encourages kids to add the correct number of playdough petals. This combines creativity with counting practice, and can be extended to earlier math skills such as addition and subtraction.
Use this for skip counting or as a timed game with older children!
12. Playdough Mats
Playdough can be used to create hairstyles, facial features, clothing, and accessories. This is a great tool to encourage fine motor skills, as well as emotional expression and awareness of diversity.
Use this as an opportunity to discuss feelings, identities, or people in your local community.
Connecting, Building, and Creating: STEM + Sensory play
Playdough can be used to solve problems and for engineering. It is also a good “glue” for all sorts of creative projects.
13. Playdough bugs
Playdough can be used to make colourful insects. Add googly eyes, pipe cleaners as antennae or l, or leaves and small land ads to form spots or wings. Create caterpillars and ladybugs.
This activity is great for kids who are bug-obsessed and goes well with books about insects or science lessons.
14. Fruit Loop Towers
Stick skewers or dry spaghetti vertically in the playdough. Encourage children to then thread cereals like Fruit Loops and Cheerios on them. It’s great for developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Introduce early math by counting the loops, creating colour patterns, or doing simple addition.

15. Building With Straws
Playdough can be used to hold everything together. Encourage your children to create anything they can think of, including bridges, towers, and houses.
This STEM open-ended game fosters creativity, engineering principles, and spatial reasoning. Ask your child to create something that will hold a toy on top.
16. Lego Letters & Stamps
Give your child the Lego bricks and flatten the base of the playdough. You can press these into the dough to create patterns, letters, and numbers. Or, you can even make mosaic-style images. Challenge your children to use the brick edges to stamp their names or short phrases.
This is a great fusion of literacy and construction play.
Conclusion
Playdough offers a way to learn, be creative, and connect with others. Playdough is a great way to engage in open-ended play without the use of a screen. It can be used for a variety of activities, including creating glittering galaxies or silly bugs.
Remember: A great playdough session doesn’t require just flour and sea salt. The key is to spend time together, spark imaginations, and engage hands in sensory play.
Next time your kids are bored or the weather is bad, or if you need to take a break from the screens, grab some playdough and set up some tools or themes. Then watch as the magic happens.