Super fun playdough crafts your toddler will love

Kids love playdough (and some adults, too)! Playdough has saved the day for many parents lost for ideas of how to keep their children busy on a Saturday afternoon. We count down our favourite playdough crafts that are perfect for little hands.

Get ready…

Before you start, create a playdough station, so your little one will have everything at the tip of his fingers. This will also help keep chaos at bay.

You will need:

• Tray or container
• Small plastic tubs with lids
• Small rolling pin
• Plastic knife
• Coloured ice-cream sticks
• Pipe cleaners
• Decorations like buttons, beads, and sequins
• Playdough

Let the fun begin…

It’s time to get rolling, squishing, stretching, and creating!

Playdough craft 1: Hammer it in

This is a great hand-eye coordination activity.

You will need

• Playdough
• Golf tees
• Toy hammer

Method

1. Shape the playdough into a thick rectangle.
2. Allow your little one to place the tees in the playdough and then let him hammer them in with the toy hammer.

Playdough craft 2: Mermaid tails

Did you know your little ones can “dress” their favourite dolls with play dough?

You will need

• Small doll
• Pink play dough
• Sequins
• Beads
• Sparkly gems

Method

1. Shape the playdough into a mermaid tail and cover the body and legs of the doll.
2. Decorate the body and tail with the decorations.

Top tip: For a sparkly dough, add glitter or small metallic confetti. For a scented dough, add a few drops of essential oil.

Playdough craft 3: Number cards

These playdough cards will get your little one excited about numbers.

You will need

• You can download them for free here.
• Scissors
• Laminating sheets
• Laminator (or take them to your local printer to have them laminated)
• Red play dough

Top tip: Let your child colour in the number with an erasable whiteboard marker. Method

1. Print and cut out the cards.
2. Laminate each sheet.
3. Help your little one roll the number of apples and make the shape of the number.

Playdough craft 4: Hand-shaped butterflies

Rolling and pressing are great fun for tots.

You will need

• Playdough in different colours
• Pipe cleaners
• Googly eyes
• Beads
• Decorations

Method

1. Press out the dough in the shape of wings.
2. Roll a sausage shape to make the body and head of the butterfly.
3. Cut small pieces of pipe cleaners and press them into the head-like antennae.
4. Add googly eyes or beads as eyes.
5. Decorate the wings and the body with the decorations.

Playdough craft 5: Sniff and play

Expect a fun combination of smells and texture with this craft using spices and playdough.

You will need

• Whole spices (cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, and bay leaves)
• Rolling pin
• Clean muffin tray
• Playdough
• Cling wrap

Method

1. Place the play dough and spices in the holder.
2. Roll out the play dough.
3. Let your child feel and smell the spices.
4. Let her press them into the playdough and see what shapes the spices make.

Playdough craft 6: Picture play mats

Use this as a fun counting game. The mats can be reused.

You will need

• Picture play mats. You can download them for free here.
• Scissors
• Laminating sheets
• Laminator (or take the cards to your local printer to have them laminated)
• Playdough in various colours

Method

1. Print and cut out the play mats.
2. Laminate each sheet.
3. Add to the pictures with the play dough, according to the instructions on each card.

Playdough craft 7: Fun animals

Let your toddler’s imagination run wild with these fun animal playdough characters.

You will need

• Playdough
• Thin ice cream sticks
• Googly eyes
• Button
• Pipe cleaner
• Scissors

Method

1. Make one big ball and one smaller ball of play dough. Stick the smaller ball on the big one as the head.
2. Make legs with the ice-cream sticks.
3. Cut the pipe cleaners into pieces and stick them into the head.
4. Curl a piece to use as a tail.
5. Create a face with googly eyes and a button.

Top tip: To preserve your little one’s art, allow it to slowly air dry. Once completely dry, mix two parts white glue with one part water. Using a paintbrush, paint until completely covered and allow to dry.

Playdough craft 8: Gingerbread people cut-outs

Your little one will love representing all the members of her family with these gingerbread people cut-outs.

You will need

• Playdough
• Gingerbread people cutters
• Rolling pin
• Googly eyes
• Decorations

Method

1. Roll out the dough.
2. Press the cookie cutter into the dough, making sure to press down well.
3. Remove the cookie cutter and excess dough.
4. Decorate with the googly eyes and other decorations.