When it comes to fine motor skill development for toddlers no tool is better suited for the task than play dough. It not only promotes all the movements which are key to fine more development like pinching and pulling, but has the added benefit of providing a stimulating sensory experence.
Here is a recipe for a DIY editible play dough that I used for Riley. Continue reading if you want to learn what she thought of it.
Recipe
1 cup flour
½ cup salt
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 cup boiling water (if using food coloring, add it to the water)
1 tablespoon oil
Combine all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water with food coloring and the oil. Stir until well blended. If the dough is still sticky, add more flour.
Riley's experience with play dough
Riley was very interested in pinching pieces off the dough—working on that pincer grasp. She would then try to eat the little pieces, which is okay because its EDIBLE! (Though I still took the pieces out of her mouth. Some mama habits are hard to break haha) I would roll the play dough into different size balls and offer them to Riley. She was surprised by the weight of them. She would try to pick them up and found that she couldn’t do that one handed. She was so focused. As we moved the dough around the play mat, little pieces came off and Riley found ALL of them. Since they were itty bitty, this really challenged her pincer grasp. My favorite parts were when Riley tried to sit on the dough and each time she taste tested the dough, she would immediately stick her tongue out.
Tips
I let Riley explore the dough as is, but bringing in other tools and toys enhances the experience. Offer your child spoons, forks, a rolling pin, and other toys/tools to explore with the dough. Supply different size containers or something like a muffin tray for your child to place pieces of the dough into.
For older children, you can have them make animal tracks in the dough which can lead to further discussions on fossils and animal tracks left behind in the forest. Encourage your older toddler or child to build things with the dough. Rolling the dough into a ball or rolling it out long like a snake are great activities to work on your child’s hand coordination and manipulation. Play dough is fun for kids of all ages!
Benefits
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Physical development: This exercises your child’s hand and finger muscles and strengthens their pincer grasp
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Cognitive Skills: Sensory play encourages increased neural pathways
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Language development: Your child becomes introduced to new vocabulary which is reinforced through their experience as they explore new textures and this new material (example : "squish", "heavy", "long", "round", "orange", or whatever color you use for your play dough)
I hope you and your little one enjoy this activity as much as we did!
Links to materials
