Home-Made Play Dough

Kids imagine, create, and experiment when they play with dough.  Making the dough adds another level of experience and education.  Read below for tips for using play dough with preschoolers and toddlers.  This recipe uses household items and can be doubled or halved. 

1.  In a large bowl, mix:

  2 cups salt
  4 cups flour

2.  Add:

  2 cups water
  2 Tablespoons oil

3.  Knead dough with your hands. 

4.  Divide dough into 6 balls. 

5.  Add about 8 drops of food coloring to each ball.  Point out the colors and especially the results of mixing two colors.  Knead the food coloring into each ball.  Wash your hands between each color!

This dough will last longer if stored in an airtight container.  If you want your creations to air dry, leave them on the counter for about two days.

Tips for Using Play Dough With Preschoolers and Toddlers

• Talk about what you are making.


• Pretend play.  Make food and "eat" it.  Make animals who go on an adventure.


• Use the color names frequently.  "I'm going to use some red for the cupcake and some blue for sprinkles..."


• Don't worry if they mix the colors together!


• Use the play dough to make and talk about shapes, patterns, and simple addition/subtraction.

 

Rhyme Games Prepare Your Children to Learn to Read

Most three-year-olds are not ready to start reading, but they often enjoy rhyming games that will help prepare them to learn to read soon.  In fact, you can vary these games for children as young as one or two! 

Children who are comfortable rhyming learn to read easier.  They recognize and predict word patterns and fragments.  They have a larger vocabulary.  Experimenting with words and sounds is more natural for them.  Rhyming also has a musical quality that seems to improve children's concentration, memory, and reading and math skills!

How do you rhyme with young children?  The possibilities are endless.  Rhyming games are particularly good for car rides!  Here's a few ideas to get you started:

• "I Spy" Games.  "I spy, with each little eye, something (green)."  Emphasize the rhyming words (I, spy, eye) and let your child find the hiding object.  Once children understand rhymes, you can change the game to "I spy, with each little eye, something that rhymes with (hat)."  Let your child take turns spying too!
• "Hey!  'Hat' and 'Cat' rhyme!"  Take turns finding words that rhyme.  Be sure to use silly words too!  "Hey!  'Elephant' and 'Melophant' rhyme!"
• Rhyming lists.  "Blue, shoe, grew, who, moo, new!"  Say them, sing, them, add to each other's lists, and make up new words.  While you're tying her shoes, fill her little brain with rhyming words to think about.  When she shows you how she jumps say, "Wow!  That's a great jump!  Jump, bump, lump, dump, hump, jump!"
• Reading.  Read books that rhyme.  Hop on Pop is a classic...and there are hundreds more to choose from!  After you've read a book a couple times, pause before reading the rhyming word and let your child fill in the missing word, or another word of their choice!  Read a wide variety of books frequently to your child.

Octopus Craft and Lesson for Preschoolers

Here's a couple pictures of our testers playing with their octopuses!  The kids loved the flexibility in the craft--they each designed their octopuses a little differently!  After they finished, they had a great time dramatizing the octopus biology we learned and then making up their own "octopus games!"  

The supplies for these octopuses are included in the September 2011 curriculum.  When you order the curriculum (only $13.99 for one child or $21.50 for two children) you receive an entire month's worth of activities, crafts, and learning games.  All supplies for each craft and activity are included in your curriculum!  You also receive a curriculum guide with lesson plans for each day.  The Octopus Lesson teaches some Biology and includes the paper plate, wiggly eyes, tissue paper, and crepe paper!  The basic supplies you need are simply glue and/or tape.  Your first order with us includes a weather chart too!  For more details, check out our Curriculum in a Box page or the FAQs!