Bummer! It's Snowing Again!

Reality has hit - after enjoying several days of warm breezes and sunny skies, the temperature has dropped to 33 degrees and snow is blowing.  Such are the joys of spring in upstate New York.  It is a bummer for the adults (I have been told that saying bummer is very out of date since this is no longer the 60's, but it sums up things so very well), and misery for the children who thought that they would be able to run outdoors every day.  The return of winter can lead to cranky, antsy children with lots of energy and no place to use it. 

Children are kinesthetic, hands on learners who love sensory activities, so one thing that is sure to entertain them is playdough.  I am not talking about the rubbery, smelly (actually, it smells the same as it did 50some years ago) stuff that comes in a can, but dough that is soft, smooth, and a joy to manipulate.  Best of it all, it can be made at home with common ingredients.  Some sample recipes follow.

Kool-Aid Playdough

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 package unsweetened Kool-aid (or similar drink mix)

1 cup boiling water

Mix together dry ingredients, add boiling water and oil, and mix well.  Let cool slightly, and knead until smooth.

(Note: If you are avoiding artificial colorings, the dyes can be absorbed through a child's skin!)

Playdough

2 cups flour

2 cups warm water

1 cup salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cream of tartar

Mix ingredients in a pan, stir and cook over medium heat until the dough thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat, cool enough to handle, and knead until smooth.

Salt Playdough

1 cup salt

1 cup water

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients until smooth

I thought that all kitchens had cream of tartar, since you need it to make meringues or snickerdoodle cookies, but I have discovered that not all do, so I have included a recipe that does not need any.  The children can help with all of them by measuring the ingredients, mixing, and kneading.  Coloring can also be added to the recipe.  This, besides being a lot of fun, helps with developing math, science, self help, and literacy skills.  As for the kneading, the children can help when the playdough cools enough, but I find it to be a wonderful kinesthetic experience and have trouble sharing that part.

How to play with it?  The commercial play dough sets come with lots of plastic things that extrude out strings of dough, but most of them become boring very quickly.  Your home has all sorts of gadgets that work well - cookie cutters, popsicle sticks, plastic silverware, biscuit cutters, buttons - use your imagination.  Even better, encourage the children to use their hands.  In addition to heightening the sensory experiences, this will give their gross and fine muscles lots of exercise.  Try not to make models for them (which does, I realize, limit your playing) so that the children can discover for themselves all of the possibilities that are inherent in the dough.  The playdough should be stored in plastic bag or a container so that it will not dry out (a reusable container is best since I helps to eliminate the amount of waste that we produce). The dough will wear out, but then more can be made.

There are many variations on these recipes, which can be found easily by googling, or by visiting http://www.playdoughrecipe.com/ which has a number of recipes, including oatmeal playdough, rubbery playdough, and traditional playdough.  Have fun, and be sure to share with the children!