Age Group: 2 to 5 years old

Curriculum Area: Science and Art

Learning Objectives: Children will learn how basic cooking ingredients can be us
ed to make play dough while strengthening creative thinking, and sensory and fin
e-motor development.
Materials Needed:
• mixing bowl
• measuring cup
• measuring spoons
• mixing spoon
• play dough tools: cookie cutters, small wooden blocks, craft sticks, small pegs,
buttons, rubber stamps, and a garlic press
• ingredients to make play dough: 3 cups flour, 3 cups water, 1 cup salt, 3 tables
poons oil, and food coloring
Instruction/ Motivation/ Procedures:
1.) In Advance: Gather your ingredients for your play dough recipe.
2.) Invite children to join you at the table to prepare play dough.
3.) Provide opportunities for each child to measure, pour, or mix one or mor
e of the ingredients. (you should measure yourself but ask the class to help you
to tell you when to stop. *Ex. Hold up a measuring cup and explain that we need
3 cups of flour. Can you help me count how many cups of flour we use? It’s best
to be very descriptive and inquisitive. Ask children to describe what changes oc
cur as they mix water with the flour. Let the children touch the water flour mix
ture with the tip of their fingers and ask them to describe how it feels, then a
dd the oil and salt and ask again.
4.) When all the ingredients have been mixed together the teacher should sep
arate the play dough into as many different colors they plan to make. McCormick
brand has four different colors: yellow red green and blue. In different bowls (
you could use washed margarine containers to help keep the play dough fresh) mix
colors into dough slowly is ideal so that the children ca see the colors change
ask the students what is happening… What color did we make? Is there anyone weari
ng this color? You could also mix the different colors to show what happens. Ex.
Blue and red make purple. Yellow and blue make green. Yellow and red make orang
e.
5.) Give the children a handful of play dough each and access to the suggest
ed tools. Young children may enjoy rolling their play dough or using cookie cutt
ers and objects they can poke into the play dough. Some children may need assist
ance as they learn how to manipulate the play dough and use the tools.
6.) You can give them pieces of the different colors to watch them change co
lors.
7.) The children s creations can be left out to harden so that they make tak
e it home with them along with a recipe so that the parents can make it for them
also if they choose.
8.) Play dough can be kept for several days in an airtight container, or a
plastic zip bag. (cleaned plastic butter container or anything with a tight fitt
ing lid works)
Follow Up/ Closure: Teacher should help children to write names on zip bag or co
ntainer, if you want their creation to dry you can use the zip bag for when they
take the sculpture home. Pick up any pieces that were un-reusable and throw the
m away wipe counters and “Sing this is how we wash our hands” to get children to was
h up. Then use the “ready and you know it song” to transition to the learning mat fo
r the next lesson.
Evaluation: Throughout the day children will be asked to point out colors that w
ere used in the play dough in other areas around the room, or on themselves or o
thers.
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