Home Time Activities Playing With Dough

Content Connection

Squishing dough is a great fine motor activity, but it is also a fun tool for helping young children learn their letters.

Wonderizer Activity: Get Ready to Read! This activity is brought to you by FamilyWonder.com Little ones love to squish dough, but did you know play-dough experiences can help develop reading and writing readiness? As they roll and mold, kids naturally begin to verbalize what they're experiencing. Connecting words to experience is an important first step towards writing. Enjoy a fun-filled, multi-sensory Wonderizer which reinforces concepts introduced in Blue's Clues: ABC's and 123's and Sesame Street: Getting Ready to Read. Learning Letters with Dough Ages: 2-5 Time: 30 minutes What they're developing: reading readiness, fine-motor skills, measuring skills What You'll Need 1/2 cup salt 1 cup flour 1/2 cup water 2 T. vegetable oil Wax paper (unnecessary if using store-bought play-dough) Food coloring (may temporarily stain little hands -- you can of course do this activity without food coloring) Smock, old towels for clean-up Step-by-Step Cover work area with old towels. Lay a sheet of wax paper on the towels. Tape down the corners so the wax paper stays in one place. Let children help measure out ingredients. In a big bowl, mix together salt, flour, and oil. Kids can even use their hands to mix ingredients. Add a few drops of food coloring to water and slowly add colored water to bowl. Keep mixing. Find the right consistency through trial and error. When you've finished making dough, hold up an object in the room, enunciating the first sound of the word very clearly. For example, hold up a book and say "Book. Book. What sound does book start with? That's right. Let's make a 'B' for the 'buh' sound." Emphasize the sound the letter makes, not just the name of the letter. Break off small pieces of dough and roll them out on the wax paper. Together, create the "B" shape with your pieces of rolled-out dough. Help kids use their fingers to trace along the letter, as if drawing it. Let them try to trace the letter independently. Squish and repeat, allowing children to direct the letter creation a little more each time if they are ready. This activity is best suited for four- and five-year-olds. Depending on age and experience with letters, here are some simple ways to adapt: Encourage kids to create any object or creature out of dough. When finished, talk with them about the name of the creature, emphasizing the first sound of the name (example: if they create a clay "bug", you say, "Oh, I see, you made a bug! Bug starts with 'B'!") There is no benefit in pushing kids to complete tasks which are developmentally inappropriate. Use your own judgment to determine your child's needs-- if there are signs of frustration, take it down a notch. Hint: Adults who are opposed to using food substances to create play material may opt to use store-bought, non-toxic clay or play-dough instead of this homemade dough. Those who feel more comfortable making play material which is edible can try this recipe: Mix 2 1/4 cups peanut butter with 6 T honey, a handful of nonfat dry milk, and a few shakes of cocoa. Knead. Add milk as needed to get soft dough. Children may eat their creations as a snack (be aware: some children are allergic to peanuts and should not play with or eat peanut butter). Make sure to wash hands before making dough!

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