Learn As You Play: Play Dough Activities

Kids Play Dough

Kids by nature are restless. They crave fun and happiness. They don’t like to sit at a place and focus on things that are stationary. A toy train will catch their attention but a book won’t. While there is no theory that explains the aversion of kids towards books, there is research on how kids can be taught in ways other than lecturing or tutoring. One of the most interesting ways of teaching kids different things is through play and fun activities. Kids play dough aids in satiating a child’s curiosity about various things. Because of therapeutic as well as learning enhancing qualities of play dough, many schools consider it as a part of the curriculum.

Playing with clay is exciting and fun. It is even more entertaining if you begin with the process of making the clay at home with them. This way you can teach them a little bit about proportions as well as kitchen safety. Children take a long time to learn mathematics; at least majority of them do. Moreover, they truly understand mathematics only when they are exposed to practical learning. With the help of clay, you can teach them how to add and subtract in no time.

Another aspect of learning that can be encouraged in children with the help of playing dough is creative imagination. Children are extremely imaginative. With the help of play dough, they can unleash their imagination. Because children feel at ease when they are having fun, with play dough they are able to fully focus on their creative potential.

Playing with dough makes kids use their senses of touch and small. Therefore, they are able to learn well. Because clay is soft and gooey, it is easier for small hands to manipulate. Kids can craft different shapes out of playing dough. With your help or any other adult’s, the kids can even learn how to make their own play dough out of scratch. An adult always needs to be around while children are making dough using kitchen ingredients and equipment.

Another thing that kids get acquainted with while playing with dough is team work and sharing. You can ask five or six kids to get in a group and make something interesting out of dough. The kids will enjoy working together, and have double the fun that they would otherwise have while playing with clay alone.

Why Playing With Clay so Important for Kids

Super Luminous Silicone Dough

Dough is an essential part of every kid’s life until he or she reaches late childhood years when he learns how to socialize effectively. Before reaching that age, every kid needs to develop fine motor skills, dexterity as well as understand emotions. Something as simple as clay helps them do this. Because of the squishy nature of dough, kids like to play with it for hours and craft various things out of it.

If you want your child to seriously learn while he plays with clay, then your assistance should be kept to a minimum. The child should be allowed to do maximum work even when he or she is making dough. Other than crafting animals and toys out of clay, the kid can also be asked to create alphabets and numerals out of the substance. This will help him or her get a better understanding of subjects like English and Mathematics.

Most of the schools incorporate playing with dough in their curriculum for children and buy Lumi Dough for kids till a particular grade. Children begin their schooling years not with books but with things like building blocks, clay as well as certain board games. Playing surely accelerates learning abilities.