Why Playdough?

We cook a lot in Kindergarten, and one thing we cook almost every week is playdough. Why playdough?Young children often use playdough as part of their imaginative play (pretending to make birthday cakes or pizza, people or animals, etc), which provides children with wonderful opportunities to develop language and problem solving skills. Children like to help make the playdough which provides them with opportunities to measure, pour and mix. While making and playing with playdough children learn about concepts such as volume, wet/dry, full/empty, hot/cold, etc. I've included a recipe below so you can make playdough at home with your child. While cooking with your child you can encourage language and problem solving: “What do we need? What will happen next? How is the salt like the flour?

Scented Playdough

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

2 small packs of unsweetened Kool Aid

1/2 cup of salt

1 tbsp of alum

2 cups of water

3 tbsp of vegetable oil

1. mix the first four ingredients together

2. Boil the water and add it to the dry mixture. Then add the oil.

3. Mix with a wooden spoon until cool enough to mix with your hands.

4. Knead the dough until it is not sticky

5. Store the playdough in a airtight container.