Crawly Friends – Playdough Mats for Kids

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Why Playdough Is One of My Favorite Learning Tools for Kids

When I was teaching preschool and kindergarten, one thing I always kept stocked in my classroom was playdough. It didn’t matter if I had a room full of early writers, sensory seekers, or kids who just needed a calm moment-playdough worked for all of them.

For my students who needed help with hand strength or fine motor coordination, playdough gave them a way to practice without pressure. Squeezing, rolling, pinching-all of those motions build the muscles they’ll use for writing, cutting, and other daily tasks. And they just thought they were having fun.

It’s also such a great creative outlet. I’ve seen kids make everything from birthday cakes to whole imaginary worlds out of playdough. It gives them space to explore and tell stories, without needing a ton of materials or adult direction.

Sensory-wise, playdough is a win, too. The feel of it is soothing for a lot of kids, and when we made homemade batches, we’d sometimes add cinnamon, peppermint, or lavender to engage their sense of smell. Those moments of quiet focus were golden, especially during the more chaotic parts of the day.

And even though it’s mostly unstructured, playdough is easy to tie into learning. We used it to form letters and numbers, practice counting, explore patterns, and even talk about science (what happens when dough dries out?). The best part is that it reaches kids at all different stages and learning styles.

If you’re homeschooling or just looking for something hands-on and screen-free to add to your day, I can’t recommend it enough. Playdough has a way of meeting kids right where they are-and teaching them in ways they don’t even realize.

Playdough Recipe Ideas

Here are playdough recipe ideas. Please read ingredients carefully and look for allergens.

Here’s a peanut butter playdough recipe that puts an edible and non-toxic playdough in your child’s hands. 🙂

No-Cook Cinnamon Playdough

Ice Cream Playdough Recipe (made with frosting and powdered sugar)

Easy and Classic Playdough Recipe

Between teaching preschool, kindergarten, and homeschooling, I have made MANY batches of homemade playdough. This is the tried-and-true recipe I have used for years, and it’s safe (it tastes salty, but it is non-toxic) for classroom or home use. If you don’t want to use food coloring, you can opt for natural substances like tumeric, cocoa, blueberry juice, beet powder, and saffron.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup salt
• 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Food coloring of choice (see above for all natural suggestions)
• Optionally, you can natural vanilla extract or peppermint extract to add scent to your playdough.

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, combine the flour, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. Add water, vegetable oil, and food coloring (if using). Stir well to combine.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken and start to form a dough.
4. When the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot and forms a ball, remove from heat.
5. Let it cool slightly, then knead it on a clean surface until smooth and pliable.

Store your playdough in an airtight container or plastic bag to keep it soft. Enjoy creative play!

FREE Playdough Activity Resources

Make learning about our creepy crawly friends fun and hands-on with these 22 colorful insect playdough activity mats for kids.

Insects are all around us- visiting our gardens and helping to pollinate trees, bushes, flowers, and garden plants.

 

If you want to add a few more activities to this, make a bee hotel out of simple materials you already have around the house. Or check out our insect craft ideas, including these adorable life cycle hats.

We have included a teacher’s guide that includes information on each activity and a book list. (Books are NOT needed to enjoy these mats.)

In the unit, you will find:

• 22 activity mats. Laminate or slip into page protector sleeves to reuse.
• 2 different levels of activities – 12 at level 1, 10 at level 2
• Meet 10 different crawly friends
• Teaching tips, playdough recipe, book list (optional books)

In this set of 22 mats, we have incorporated:

• Science
• Math Activities
• Critical thinking skills
• Cute and colorful graphics
• Teaching Guide with activity instructions and ideas for each mat

The ten crawly friends include bee, caterpillar, spider, ladybug, grasshopper, dragon fly, worm, snail, ant, and butterfly.

Check out this video of our free playdough activity mats to get a closer look! Then, request our free crawly friends playdough mats and check out the other free playdough resources listed below.

Download More Free Playdough Learning Resources

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