Mud Play Dough
Playdough is such a wonderful resource to add new dimensions into play, with different scents and colours to stimulate the senses. My personal favourite is mud playdough! Yes – mud! It has this incredible earthly smell about it – you know when it rains and it smells awesome? That smell! The texture is amazing and it is a wonderful way to bring nature inside or playdough outside.
Playdough doesn’t just need to be cutters and rolling pins. Adding in natural loose parts for mark making, constructed, designing and building with take it to a whole new level of awe, wonder and curiosity. Using leaves to make imprints, stones to roll on it, twigs to make creatures and leaving a tray of curiosities and allowing their imaginations to go wild. There is just something so Wanderlust and joyful watching children experiment and explore with what the world provides.
Making the playdough is a process and learning experience the children can benefit from. The skills of measuring, reading, experimenting, negotiating, cause and effect as well as the motor skills involved, makes making playdough such a beneficial experience. Yes, it may take more time and be more messy when they get involved but I think it is so worth it. We love to reuse our playdough so we sterilise the mud first to remove bacteria in order for it to last longer. But if you just want to use it for a few days you can use the simple method!
Sterilised dough:
• 2 cups of sifted dirt
• 2 cups of flour
• ½ cup of salt
• 2tbsp cream of tartar
• 2tbsp oil
• 2tbsp glycerine
• 1 ½ cups of boiling water
Spread the dirt on a baking tray and sprinkle with some water. Cover with foil. Bake at 100c for 30mins. Once cooled mix with the other ingredients, gradually adding the water. Knead away – it will feel sticky until it cools down.
Regular dough:
Mix together and knead
• 3 cups of sifted dirt
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 cups of water
• ¼ cup of oil
Have fun!
Alicia
@enchanting.early.years
