Open Ended Playdough Games

Has your playdough play gotten stale? Liven it up with these playdough games which use simple props that you have lying around at home. If you don't have any of these items at home, they can all be purchased at the dollar store.

You will need:

• Playdough
• Feathers
• Popsicle sticks
• Forks
• Cups

Once you gather your supplies, the rest is up to the kids. Present them with the supplies and see what they do.

My daughter A started out experimenting with poking sticks in the playdough and then ended up sticking all the Popsicle sticks in at once.

When she was done with the Popsicle sticks, A used her fork to make impressions in the dough. She varied the force she put into each poke and noticed that when she pressed harder the indentations were deeper. 

Here B decided to make "ice pops." She put a ball of play dough on each of her sticks and placed them in cups. She was now ready to sell her ice pops to her sisters.

Little C made a birthday cake. Blow out those candles C!

Next, she added some feathers to the playdough and made what she called a turkey.

Three kids were given the same materials yet they each came up with something different. That is the beauty of open ended play. They each made discoveries, learned about cause and effect and engaged in the creative process. Who says you can't learn while playing?

Want to add some extra sparkle to your homemade playdough? Add some glitter! Mix it in really well. I was surprised that almost all of the glitter stays in the playdough and not on little hands. Isn't it pretty?

Please share your favorite ways to play with playdough in the comments section. I look forward to hearing from you!

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