Hello Educators

Today, we’re diving into the wonderfully malleable world of playdough combined with loose parts. We will explore this versatile material with toddlers and preschoolers. The toddlers and preschoolers in my home childcare creatively use playdough and loose in our everyday routines. However, I will guide you on how it can be used during your morning routines, making transitions smoother and more fun. Let’s see how playdough can make our days joyful and teaching more impactful. Playdough isn’t just fun; it’s developmentally useful, especially suitable for mixed-age settings, offering unique benefits across all content domains.

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Toddlers and Playdough

Playdough offers a tactile and sensory experience perfect for toddlers. Beyond patting and pounding, they learn early mathematics through exploration, such as measurements and problem-solving, all while building fine motor skills – strengthening their finger and hand muscles.

My toddler used his fingers to make these holes.

My daycare is rooted in sustainability, and we find creative uses for loose parts, items usually thrown in the garbage. Here, I added some recycled materials to the toddlers’ play provocation. He found an innovative way to engage with playdough using the recycled baby pouch top and some old marker tops. He effortlessly used the pouch top to cut through playdough (as a knife) and the marker tops to imprint shapes ( molds). 

How my toddler used the recycled materials on the playdough

Some of the learning skills in this activity – hand-eye coordination, mathematics – making shapes, patterns, division – cutting up the materials into smaller pieces

Toddler cutting the playdough into smaller piece

We know the ebbs and flows of our daycare setting, and the morning arrivals can sometimes last longer than we anticipate. Despite having a busy morning, it was joyous to observe my younger child’s discovery of a “smiley face” shape after removing the marker tops from the playdough—a reminder of playdough’s educational value for children at an early age. Now, let’s look at how the preschoolers used the material. 

Read more  about my Carpal Tunnel story and why  playdough is a must have material in my playspace. 

Preschoolers and Playdough

My preschoolers are creative and have been working with beads for over a year ( I teach them the safe use of materials from a young age). I added beads and plastic wire to a container for this invitation to expand their thinking and learning. With more developed motor skills and expanding imaginations, preschoolers interact with playdough through a different lens. The presence of beads and plastic wire on the table opened up a world of creativity I hadn’t anticipated. Instead of merely stringing beads, they used them to embellish the playdough, creating intricate patterns and designs.

This activity refined their fine motor skills and introduced them to mathematical concepts like patterning and symmetry. Such open-ended materials are important in childcare; they come without instructions, encouraging free exploration and creativity. However, for safety, especially in mixed-age settings with younger children prone to mouthing objects, substituting small beads with larger ones can prevent choking hazards while offering rich learning experiences. I will reemphasize that I teach children material safety, although that sneaky child always wants to be the hero and engage in hazardous ways. Are you on the fence about using playdough in your mixed-age childcare setting?

Why Playdough Works for Mixed-Age Settings

Playdough’s adaptability makes it an invaluable tool in mixed-age settings like home daycares where the provider works alone. It allows children at different developmental stages to engage at their own pace, and the material is softer than clay, so children are more successful using it. I prefer to use homemade playdough due to its non-toxic nature, and it offers peace of mind when younger children explore with their mouths. Here is the thing, this flexibility extends beyond sensory benefits; it fosters social interaction, with older children sharing techniques with younger ones, thus building a sense of community and enhancing social and emotional development.

Final Thoughts

Incorporating playdough into your morning routine does more than entertain. It supports many skills, from basic motor abilities to complex cognitive tasks like pattern recognition and mathematical reasoning, not to mention its artistic benefits. Playdough can easily be integrated into daily routines and doesn’t require much preparation.  

Here’s a tip for fellow educators – prepare your playdough overnight and store it in an airtight container to prolong its usability and prevent mold or drying out. Playdough is not just a play material; it’s a foundational element for early years’ learning, versatile and rich in developmental power.  

Stay tuned for more tips on enhancing your home childcare morning routine. Your engagement is crucial, so subscribe to our newsletter, share your playdough experiences, or suggest future topics. Together, let’s harness the power of play to unlock the incredible potential of every child.

See our other tips designed for Home Child Care Educators:

Tip #1 Home Childcare Morning Routine Using Puzzles  

Tip # 2 Home Childcare Routine Using Playdough + Loose Parts   (this article)

Tip #3 Free Play in a Home Childcare – Morning Routine

Tip # 4 Transform Your Home Childcare with a Music Box  

Tip # 5 Benefits of Dramatic Play: Effective Strategies for Your Home Childcare

Until next time, I am Miss Sue, your educator in the trenches with you, reminding you to share this post with fellow educators. Let’s inspire each other with the power of play!