Ultimate Guide of the Best Play Dough Activities and Recipes (2024)

ByKim StatenDecember 26, 2017January 14, 2024Updated onJanuary 14, 2024

We love play dough activities! There are very few days when we don’t play with play dough, whether it’s for practice counting, developing fine motor skills, or just for fun. All of my kids love play dough, from my 11 year old to my 3 year old. We’re thinking of new play dough activities for toddlers and up all the time, including play dough stem activities and more.

Since my kids, big and small, absolutely love play dough so much for playing, it is a no brainer to add in learning to that too. It makes it easy for me, as their mom & teacher, to incorporate activities that will assist in teaching them all different types of ideas. We have centered play dough activities around math, literacy, fine motor practice, science, sensory and more. The kids see this as playing and I know all the benefits of playdough in preschool and beyond.

Our Favorite Printable Play Dough Activities

Play Dough Numbers Printables

Kindergarten play dough mats are a great way to build skills while having fun. Choose from play dough shape mats to number mats for your math centers!

Plus, the benefits of playing with your fingers, whether on shape play dough mats or just for fun, include developing fine motor skills by rolling balls, flattening ‘cookies’ and so much more!

LearnLiteracy Skills with Play Dough Activities

You can cover both literacy and numeracy with play dough activities for preschool! The free alphabet play dough mats pdf helps young children learn the alphabet, letter recognition, and how to write letters.

Grab some of our favorite play dough tools for more sensory playand to differentiate your learning activities. Use the alphabet dough stamps and cookie cutters to build words in your literacy centers.

Or use the number cookie cutters with a rolling pin to create math problems or work on place value.

Cloud Dough Letter Smash| Winter Color Pre-K Pack

Inspire Your Scientist with Play Dough Activities for Science and STEM

Whether it’s building a race car or a volcano that really erupts, here are some great ideas for STEM challenges.

Pretend Play- Play Dough Activities

Preschool play dough mats printables are great for setting up a pretend play area. Celebrate the holidays, bake a cupcake, or fly into outer space with these low-prep activities.

Follow a play dough recipe for scented playdough with essential oils, then get those imaginations engaged!

Our Favorite play Dough Tools:

Play dough tools are a great way to add variety to your play dough station! Usetextured play dough rollers, cookie cutters, scrapers and play dough alphabet toolsto incorporatefine motor practice into math, literacy and science.

The possibilities are endless!

We enjoy trying out new play dough recipes but I have also been known to buy thebig kits of Play Dohbecause of all the fantastic colors that are included. We also have purchasedplay dough toolsbut have made our own as well. Play dough (orPlay Doh) is a fantastic activity with so many options. It’s safe to say it is my favorite too.

Here are some of our favorite homemade play dough recipes:

These simple recipes for homemade play dough require simple ingredients. You can always add food coloring, make festive holiday play dough with sprinkles, or dry and paint the dough for homemade Christmas tree ornaments.

Cocoa Play Dough Recipe

Christmas Play Dough Recipe

Green Apple Scented Play DoughRecipe- perfect for apple themed activities!

Pumpkin Pie Play Dough Recipe

Anna Play DoughforFrozenFans

Here are somemore great recipes, including Kool-aid and Peanut Butter Play Dough

Make your own long-lasting play dough.

Or grab a big pack of play dough to keep on hand for when inspiration strikes.