Playdough - Page 2 of 7

Cosmic Antenna Balance

Steps:

Press a medium ball of playdough onto the center of a sturdy cardboard sheet to create the base.
Push three Q-Tips into the playdough at an angle to create a tripod stand.
Place a baking cup upside down on top of the three Q-Tip ends.
Gently rest a fourth Q-Tip across the flat bottom of the upside-down baking cup.
Carefully slide one paper clip onto each end of the horizontal Q-Tip to act as satellite dishes.
Challenge your child to add more paper clips without tipping the whole antenna over!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the structure is built on a flat, stable surface. Keep small parts away from younger siblings.

The Beaded Rainbow Arch

Steps:

Roll two large balls of playdough into thick cloud shapes.
Place the clouds about six inches apart on a flat table.
Select a pipe cleaner and a handful of matching beads.
Have your child slide the beads onto the pipe cleaner one by one.
Push one end of the wire deep into the first playdough cloud.
Bend the wire into a curve and push the other end into the second cloud.
Repeat this for every color of the rainbow!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required. Beads and pipe cleaners are small and can be a choking hazard.

Crumpled Leaf Twig Tree

Steps:

Stand your branch inside the container using a large lump of playdough.
Encourage your child to tear strips of tissue paper with both hands.
Ask them to crumple the paper into small balls using only their fingertips.
Have your child pick up a clothespin and squeeze it open.
They must trap a tissue paper leaf inside the clothespin.
Challenge them to clip the leaf onto a twig on the branch.
Continue until the branch is full of colorful tissue paper leaves!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required. Small pieces of tissue paper and playdough can be a choking hazard. Watch for sharp twigs on the branches.

Button Bridge Balance

Steps:

Roll four or five large balls of playdough with both hands.
Press the playdough balls onto a table to create stable pillars.
Lay a craft stick across two playdough pillars to make a bridge.
Pick up one button using your thumb and pointer finger.
Carefully place the button on the narrow craft stick bridge.
See how many buttons you can stack before the bridge tips!

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Buttons and playdough are small objects and pose a significant choking hazard for young children.

Putty Spool Force Push

Steps:

Adult Prep: Press a large lump of stiff playdough firmly into the bottom of the container to create a stable base.
Adult Prep: Twist 5 to 6 short pieces of yarn tightly into small loops. Embed these yarn loops halfway into the surface of the playdough, ensuring they are resistant.
Ask your child to hold the container firmly steady with their helper hand to stabilize the base on the table.
Pick up one craft stick. Encourage a firm, three-finger or pincer grip on the stick.
Aim the stick at a resistant yarn loop embedded in the playdough base.
Use a strong, controlled push to drive the stick straight through the yarn and deep into the resistant playdough. Feel the effort!
Repeat this action until all the yarn loops have a stick pushed through them. Pull them out quickly for extra heavy work!

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Playdough, yarn, and craft sticks are small objects and pose a choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended.