PLAYING PLAYDOUGH IN MONTESSORI

Toddlers love to use playdough but parents always have too much playdough on their shelves and full of cookie cutters, rolling pins, and other random items. Sometimes children spend more time looking in the tray than playing with the play dough. So Ukiyo preschool recommends what a play dough tray looks like in Montessori environments.

 The playdough trays put playdough with only one tool, usually some kind of stamper or cutter. Presenting the play dough with only one tool allows the children to focus on one skill at a time, it allows the child to focus on the one action and master it. Let's put together a few playdough tools and created eight or so play dough trays to rotate. The idea of rotating the trays is to maintain interest, once the children stop using the tray parents can bring in a fresh one and always like to have a few ideas ready to go.

Let's see what our playdough trays look like. 

a. Textured Palm Printers - the child can use the little handles on the back of these stampers and press them into the dough.

b. Dough Extruders - developing hand strength. If it is too hard for your children to use, try softer playdough or put it away for a few weeks and try again. These are fun to use and really work the muscles in the fingers, hand, and arm.

c. Make Your Name - made this by printing out your children's name on paper and laminating it. It can be used repeatedly and easily wipes clean. The idea is children make the letters of their name with playdough and becomes familiar with how each letter is formed and how to spell their name. If your children loved this and did it easily, so you can definitely move onto different words or even other playdough mats.

d. Dough Hammers - these hammers have different shapes and indents on them, children can hammer the playdough and see the different shapes or patterns they can make. Children also get a feel for how much pressure they need to apply to make an imprint. These are super fun for children who love to hammer or bang things.

e. Rocking Dough Stampers - these stampers are all about wrist rotation, the child can rock them from side to side or forwards and backward to make a lovely impression on the dough.

f. Make A Geometric Shape - let's give some prompt cards encouraging children to make different shapes. Here parents can make a sphere. Parents should present a card picturing the shape and a wooden geometric shape so children can feel the shape to make. The sphere is easy but we can work up to more complex shapes.

g. Scissors - children can love snipping playdough, so this tray was a given. Playdough is also soft and easy to cut, allowing children to practice using scissors with something that is easy to cut and is completely reusable.

h. Textured Rolling Pins - these can be a little tricky, the child needs to apply pressure while rolling the pin. The textured pins allow children to look at the pin and imagine, or create an image in their mind, as to what the impressions on the dough would be.

Source: how we montessori