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How do you handle playdoh? Do the kids get one color at a time or do they open whatever they want? How do you minimize the mess? Is one jar of playdoh and a handful of cookie cutters enough for a 20 minute sensory time, or do I need to have large sets? I've done away with playdoh for a while b/c my kids were crazy with it & it was taking me an hour to clean it up after. I want to reintroduce it now that behavior is better, but I'm thinking small amounts and they can earn it back.
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With store bought play dough, it was exhausting trying to keep the colors separate. I let them mix them all. When they dried out I started making my own.
I make one or two colors at a time. The kids love it. It lasts 4-6 weeks. This and a handful of play dough toys can keep the littles entertained for quite awhile. -
ditto on this....always make our own....we add funny things to it to make it more exciting.With store bought play dough, it was exhausting trying to keep the colors separate. I let them mix them all. When they dried out I started making my own.
I make one or two colors at a time. The kids love it. It lasts 4-6 weeks. This and a handful of play dough toys can keep the littles entertained for quite awhile.
glitter, paper confetti, sequins, etc.....
I love making the home made....it doesnt cost much, fun to make, smells better and when your done, toss it and make the fun happen all over again....Comment
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My kids love hiding things in their playdoh, so I bought them some Flarp, mixed all the colors together, and put it in a big tupperware bowl. They can hide their Shopkins or whatever inside that and not make such a mess. They love it, and the Flarp is so much easier to clean up. We still do the play doh, but **I** prefer the Flarp.Comment
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This is my favorite recipe! Mine lasts up to a year if sealed in a Ziplock. I don't keep it that long though! Cook it slowly and just as soon as it appears to firm up take it off the heat. Don't over cook it.With store bought play dough, it was exhausting trying to keep the colors separate. I let them mix them all. When they dried out I started making my own.
I make one or two colors at a time. The kids love it. It lasts 4-6 weeks. This and a handful of play dough toys can keep the littles entertained for quite awhile.
I let kids get it out when they want. I have three/four mini rolling pins, about 10 mini cookie cutters, a few other tools, plastic knives. They don't seem to get much on the floor.
My kids sit at a long child-sized table. Are your kids at an adult table? I know it seems to get all over if they are at a high table. I also think it's tough to set an assigned time frame. I can see kids getting tired of it then getting silly and crazy with it because they are ready to move on. My kids have used it for 20 minutes at a time, but may only use it 5 minutes other times.Comment
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We make our own, too. I have some store bought and just let them at it. It doesn't bother me and it doesn't bother the kids to have the colours mixed.
It does bother me that this particular group cannot seem to play with it without making a huge mess. My last group (of 2 yos) were cleaner than this group. I digress....
We play with it in and out of the house so the outside stuff usually ends up with grass, mud, sticks, leaves, etc
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I've tried sitting at a kids table, sitting on floor mats, sitting at the adult table. It is bad either way.:
: My son has most of the playdoh sets like the ice cream maker, dentist, food court, etc. I used to let them pick one set each & they'd have as much as 10 jars open at once. They of course wanted a different color for the teeth, ice cream, sprinkles, meat, etc that they were making. I've mentioned before that my group struggles greatly with behavior and controlling themselves. I think maybe I had too many options.
I don't make them play for a set amount of time, but since they can't handle the playdoh without constant direction they are only allowed to play with it when I can sit and focus on it so 20 minutes is about the limit.
I love the idea of making our own. I'm really working on responsibility with tho group so maybe if they help make it they will take better care of it.Comment
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I have a bin with store bought that is NOT for mixing. A few of my kids really take their time with it, make things, and get upset when they open what was supposed to be yellow to find a crazy color blob.
The other bin is for mixing, and it's all homemade in old playdoh bins. I rotate out playdoh mats, cookie cutters and bigger sets (dentist, construction, hair, etc).
All of my kids are 2+. After playdoh, we all clean up our own mat, then we clean the floor and table together. They do (mostly) all of it. They're also neater about not making messes when they realize that they're also responsible for cleaning it up.Comment
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When I have store bought play doh, it's usually because I'm doing a particular theme. If we are having a "color" day, only the color that we are working on that day would be out. For earth day last year I think we had only the green play doh out, and while we played we talked about what being green meant.
Color mixing isn't an option because I will never have more than one color out at a time
For general "play doh" like play, I make my own using food coloring.
They can mix that to their hearts content::
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Oh, maybe it is be themed sets that cause a bit more havoc. I never thought of that. I don't have any of he play sets.....just mini cookie cutters, rolling pins, a play doh tool or two from a rummage sale and one color of homemade dough.
Maybe simpler is the way to go. That may help your group.Comment
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I know a provider who buys playdough and lets the children pick their favorite color. She then writes their name on the playdough and it is the child's responsibility to take care of it. If they lose it, don't cover it & it dries out, or they simply make a mess and do not pick it up...the child has no playdough till the provider decides to get more... She says it works?????
BTW, when I tried this, my kids became great sharing kids because the one who didn't take care of their playdough was always asking to play with someone else's but they had to ask the child themselves.
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I love this idea. Thanks!I know a provider who buys playdough and lets the children pick their favorite color. She then writes their name on the playdough and it is the child's responsibility to take care of it. If they lose it, don't cover it & it dries out, or they simply make a mess and do not pick it up...the child has no playdough till the provider decides to get more... She says it works????? BTW, when I tried this, my kids became great sharing kids because the one who didn't take care of their playdough was always asking to play with someone else's but they had to ask the child themselves. Comment
Same here! Part of play time is cleaning up after yourself!
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