Snowman Play Dough Activity
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Can I share a secret?
When you put out engaging materials that offer a range of outcomes, almost everyone at your holdiday party- toddlers, tweens, even the adults, will join in your holiday activity. A simple, openended activity brings everyone to the table, and gets even the most reserved family memeber chatting. There’s something about buys hands that produces laughter and chit chat.
Some years, I have made my own playdough and some years I’ve purchased it.
Here is my go-to playdough recipe:
1 Cup Flour
2 Tsp Cream of Tartar
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Salt
Mix dry ingredients well. Add water and oil to a warm pan over a medium heat and stir for a few minutes, until your mixture becomes a ball of dough. Take it off the pan and knead well while it is hot.
Always keep it simple, not too messy, and set it up in a central location (not pushed to the side in a less frequented room). It keeps teens off their phones and toddlers from running around.
If you don’t want to use this activity at a party, it is a fantastic family activity or playdate activity.
Remember that play is meant to be simple. Getting the kids started should take you no more than a few minutes. Set up this open-ended winter activity, including white dough, snowman parts, and google eyes, all on one of our favorite play trays.
When we set this up at a recent playdate of 9-year-olds, each child used the materials differently. There were no instructions. No one told them what to make or how to do it. They worked for 45 minutes while snacking, chatting, and unwinding from the school day.
When finished, pull it all apart and put the materials on the shelf to use again another day.
Remember, you can use anything you have on hand- pipe cleaners, buttons from your crafts stash, store-bought, or homemade dough. For your convenience, some of our favorite snowman parts are linked below:
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