Home Learning Activity – Playdough Recipe

Get creative at home and make your own playdough with this recipe! All children at nursery love playing with playdough, and all you need are some ingredients from your kitchen.

What You Need to Make Playdough

• Measuring scales
• A large mixing bowl
• 8 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp table salt
• 60ml warm water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Food colouring (optional)

Playdough Recipe

1. Mix the flour and salt in the bowl, add the water, a few drops of food colouring and the oil. Mix and bring together.
2. Dust a work surface with a bit of flour and turn out the dough. Knead together for a few minutes to form a smooth dough. If you want a more intense colour, you can work in a few extra food colouring drops into the dough.
3. Store in a plastic sandwich bag (squeeze out the air) and store it in the fridge to keep fresh.

Learning Areas

At our nursery, we believe that children learn best through hands-on, playful experiences. Making playdough is not just a fun sensory activity – it’s a rich learning opportunity that touches on multiple areas of development. Children strengthen their physical skills through kneading, mixing, pouring, and rolling the dough, improving hand-eye coordination and fine motor control. It also introduces early maths concepts, such as measuring ingredients, understanding quantities, and comparing sizes and amounts.

Through conversation and exploration, children are exposed to new language as they describe textures, colours, and actions, expanding their vocabulary naturally. The sensory nature of playdough encourages children to explore textures and materials, promoting curiosity and creativity. Additionally, this activity supports art and design as children use the dough to mould shapes, patterns, and imaginative creations, learning about colour mixing and visual expression along the way.

Most importantly, this simple home learning activity strengthens the bond between parent and child, helping parents engage in their child’s learning journey. It promotes independence, creativity, and problem-solving – essential foundations for early development – while making learning at home both fun and meaningful.

Contact Us

Please speak to a member of our nursery team to enquire about your child attending nursery. For more information about our methods of teaching the Early Years Curriculum, email Stevie, Operations Manager, by emailing stevie@kidsincnurseries.co.uk.