Do your little ones like play-dough? I’m sharing with you our favorite 10+ Play-dough Activities for Toddlers!
For all of these easy ideas, you’ll need play-dough. We have a super EASY, HOMEMADE PLAY-DOUGH RECIPE using only natural food dyes!
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Let’s get started!
All activities should be supervised by an adult. This post contains affiliate links- this just means I earn a small commission if you purchase via links below, no extra cost to you! Read our disclosure policy here.
#1: Dino Play-dough Match Activity
This Dino Play-dough Match Activity is very easy to set up. In fact, you’ll need just two things to get this activity going, play-dough and toy dinosaurs.
materials:
- Play-dough (make our homemade Play-dough using natural food dye)
- Dinosaur figure toys
Instructions:
- Flatten the play-dough into a large disk. I used a rolling pin to help.
- Stamp the dinos into the play-dough and place nearby for kids to match.
RELATED: Dinosaur Footprint Painting activity
#2: DIY Play-dough Stamps
Play-dough is so versatile, fun and great as a sensory play component. And it gets even more fun with an addition of these DIY PLAY-DOUGH STAMPS, which are super easy and exciting to make!
Materials:
Instructions:
- Cut the cardboard into squares (any preferred size, we did about 2″ x 2″).
- Next, allow the child to draw whatever they would like on the cardboard square using the pencil.
- Heat up the hot glue gun and trace with it the drawings the kiddos made. Let cool and dry.
#3: autumn play-dough tray
Autumn Play-dough Tray: Invitation to Create is a simple and easy way to spark your childs’ creativity. I’ve put together this simple tray full of nature finds we’ve found and gathered together with the kids on our daily outdoor walk. It was fun to see them run around, find something they felt was beautiful and worth to add to our tray and bring it over to show me. I loved that they were discovering the little things outdoors and noticing colors, shapes, objects, even patterns on the leaves and so much more!
Materials:
- Tray with sections
- Play-dough (Homemade Recipe)
- Nature finds (acorns, sticks, pine needles, pine cones, leaves, etc.)
Instructions:
- Lay out everything onto the tray so the child can visually see all of the elements he’s/she’s able to create with. That’s it!
RELATED: 25+ nature inspired ideas for kids
#4: Floral Play-dough Medallions
These Floral Play-dough Medallions are a creative way to use play-dough (even old scraps of it) and withered florals and create something beautiful and unique!
MATERIALS:
- Play-dough (Homemade Recipe)
- Flowers (withered, dried, fresh)
- Tray with sections
Instructions:
Super simple to set up. Place flower petals, leaves, cut-up stems into each section of a separated tray. Also add the play-dough.
Tip #1- Setting up the petals, leaves, stems and play-dough out on a separated tray gives the kids a visual of all the materials they’re able to use! Super helpful with toddlers as they get to see all the things they’re able to use.
Tip #2- Using a play-dough rolling pin makes it easier to create the medallions perfectly round, but I prefer the kids (especially the younger ones) to use their fingers to spread out the play-dough (fine/small motor skills).
#5: Outdoor Play-dough Invitation to Create
This Outdoor Play-dough Invitation to Create is so simple to set-up! Open-ended play ideas are a great way for kids to get creative, use their imagination and play with what’s available.
Materials:
- Tray with separations
- Play-dough (Homemade Recipe)
- Twigs, leaves, flowers, any nature treasures you can find!
Instructions:
Place play-dough in the middle of the tray and arrange all of the nature treasures around the play-dough. That’s it!
#6: Play-dough Emotion Cards with Bible Verses
These Play-dough Emotion Cards with Bible Verses are a creative way to familiarize with and learn about emotions.
Materials:
- Index cards
- Permanent markers
- Crayon (nude color for face)
- Play-dough (Homemade Recipe)
- Metal jar lid rim
Instructions:
Start by tracing the jar lid rim with the nude crayon (or colored pencil) towards the bottom half of a vertically placed index card and color in. I drew some brown hair too. Next, you can simply write emotions on the top half of the index card, like happy, angry, sad, worried, excited, etc. Or you can find verses in the Bible that speak about these emotions and write them out using the permanent markers.
RELATED: Christian printables
#7: Spring Play-dough Tray
This Spring Play-dough Tray is super easy to prepare and your little one’s will love it!
Materials:
-Play-dough (Homemade Natural Play-dough)
-Add-ins (like sequins, pom-poms, beads, stickers, buttons, plastic eggs, feathers, even pasta is great! )
-Tray with sections (mine is a dip tray from Walmart, 3$!)
Instructions:
I love using a sectioned tray for activities like these because you can place everything in it’s own section and display everything available for the kiddos to use. Place play-dough in the center and everything else around.
#8: Safari Play-dough Footprints
Materials:
-Play-dough (Homemade Natural Recipe)
-Safari animals (linked similar)
-Flat tray (I used a lid to a container)
Instructions:
Flatten out the play-dough onto a plate, cutting board, tray, etc. Next, pick 4-5 small safari animals and carefully “stamp” them across the play-dough.
#9: Play-Dough Color Sorting Activity
This Play-Dough Color Sorting Activity is the perfect combination of sensory play and learning!
Materials:
Instructions:
Use at least 3 different colors of play-dough. Make a flat piece, “plate”, for each color. Then roll as many balls as you can of each color. Toddler has to match and place each ball onto the correct colored piece of play-dough.
#10: Play-dough Truck Tracks Activity
Easy and fun idea for toddlers.
Materials:
–Play-dough (ECO KIDS PLAY-DOUGH IS OUR FAVORITE, NATURAL AND NON-TOXIC!)
-Favorite truck toys
Instructions:
What instructions??
Really, all you need is a table, roll the play-dough into a flat piece and let your kiddo roll the trucks to leave some amaaaaazing tracks!
THEY WILL LOVE IT! If your little one’s have scoops on the trucks (or whatever they’re called), they’ll be digging too! So FUN!
#11: Play-dough Slicing Activity
This Play-dough Slicing Activity is perfect for little hands!
Materials:
–Eco-Dough (Homemade Natural Recipe)
-Play kitchen toy knives
Instructions:
All you need to do to set up this activity is to roll your play-dough into long logs. Allow your kids to carefully slice the logs (with play knives) and have fun using different colors or even shapes.
Let’s just say my kids did this for a long time (I was actually able to do a couple house chores. SCORE!)
Enjoy these activities!
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