Looking for some fun playdough activities? Here are lots of ideas with playdough for kids to build, create, learn and play.
Updated July 2023
There’s so much potential with homemade playdough and it is a consistent art material that my kids are drawn to over and over again.
Maybe you’d like some fun ideas with playdough for your kids to explore.
Here’s a list packed full of playdough activities for toddlers and preschoolers to build, play and learn with playdough.
Playdough Recipe
Check out this video full of creative playdough ideas, and then keep scrolling for even more fun ideas. And don’t miss The Artful Parent go-to homemade playdough: a cooked recipe for playdough and a no cook playdough recipe.
7 Ideas with Playdough for Toddlers
1. Playdough dress up with plastic toys. (from Redviolet Studio)
How fun is this idea from Catalina? Gather up some plastic animals and kids can give them a whole new look!
2. Playdough poke-ins
Poke in toothpicks to make all kinds of prickly creatures. Try straws, pipe cleaners, marker caps, googly eyes––all are fun to press in for kids.
3. Rolling snakes is fun but how about these adorable snails? (from Mother Natured)
4. Stamp playdough (from Little Mainer Art Studio)
5. Playdough sculptures + loose parts (from Redviolet Studio)
6. Learn to use scissors with this playdough activity for toddlers (from Modern Preschool)
7. Pretend play animal setup (from Redviolet Studio)
8 Ideas with Playdough for Preschool
1. Make a forest diorama.
2. Open a bakery! (from Little Mainer Art Studio)
Set out muffin tins, rolling pins, cookie cutters, pony beads/sequins & candles. Kids love taking your order and whipping up playdough cupcakes, brownies, cookies and the like!
3. Create an adorable cactus garden (from Redviolet Studio)
4. Play chef (from Creation Space)
5. Build playdough volcanoes and create eruptions with baking soda & vinegar!
6. Sculpt 3D playdough faces
7. These playdough pizzas are cute enough to eat (from Nurture Store)
8. Build playdough towers with pasta (from Redviolet Studio)
8 Playdough Activities for Kindergartners
1. Write messages in playdough (from Little Mainer Art Studio)
2. And another fun alphabet stamping option (from Kindergarten Works)
3. Sculpt scenes with playdough on a tray (from CreationSpace)
4. Write Letters With Playdough (from No Time For Flash Cards)
5. Explore the layers of our planet with colorful Earth balls.
6. Build spaghetti towers by stringing beads on dried spaghetti (from Glitter on a Dime)
7. Try color mixing with playdough (from At the Butterfly Ball)
8. Create pictures in playdough with LEGO prints
6 Ideas for Homemade Playdough
1. Add in a beautiful nature element with petal playdough!
2. Build structures using playdough and sticks (from Fireflies and Mud Pies)
3. Whip up a batch of edible play doh.
4. Make your playdough glow with this recipe (from TinkerLab)
5. Make galaxy playdough & add in space toys (from Redviolet Studio)
6. Mix your own natural dyes into playdough (from The Imagination Tree)
4 Playdough Gift Ideas
Kids love playdough for gifts and it’s so fun to create playdough kits by season, holiday or based on your child’s interest.
1. Here’s how to make a playdough snowman for winter time.
2. Make some Christmas playdough that looks like candy canes!
3. Make a rainbow playdough kit (from the Kindergarten Connection)
4. Playdough party favors (from eighteen25)
More Playdough Activities for Kids
- The Artful Parent has an entire page dedicated to playdough and clay ideas for kids
- Did you know we have a Youtube channel too?
- Don’t miss out on the best way to entertain your kids.
- 15+ Creative Ideas for Playdough
Do you have any great playdough ideas for kids to add—either your own or ideas you’ve seen elsewhere?
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