I pulled this activity out for Emma and Lily one rainy and cold day while Johnny was in preschool. They had a blast playing with the marbles and play dough (we make our own – this is my favorite recipe), and have requested to repeat the activity several times since! Johnny is actually playing with the two items together as I type, although, he seems to prefer bouncing the marbles on our tile floor…
Sensory Play with Play Dough and Marbles
Lily especially enjoyed making prints with her marbles. Emma preferred to make designs, and eventually moved on to making little cakes and cookies out of the play dough and using marbles to decorate her creations. The smoothness and hardness of the marbles makes a nice sensory contrast to soft and squishy play dough.
This makes great fine motor practice for toddlers and preschoolers as they use their pincer grasp to pick up the marbles and position them in the play dough!
Do you have a toy that you love combining with play dough?
Cost-benefit analysis:
- Prep: Getting out baking pans, play dough, and marbles
- Initial entertainment: about 20 minutes
- Clean-up: Under three minutes, provided your child doesn’t decide to break the play dough into tiny pieces and throw it all over the floor. My kids didn’t do that this time, but it’s something they have been known to do in the past… It takes a little longer if you decide to rinse off the marbles instead of just keeping them in the play dough tupperware – OR you can have your children rinse off the marbles, and dry them individually, which actually buys you an extra 10 minutes of peaceful play!
- Lasting value: quiet, creative play with interesting materials, learning about cause and effect if they use the marbles to make prints in play dough, fine motor skills practice
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
marbles and playdough!!! Why hadn’t I thought of this!!!??? LOL
It’s fun! :)
Love this idea! We’ve never done it before!
It’s very fun!
I came back to look at this one again. I’ve got to remember to do this next week with Jack! Such a creative and fun idea. I just noticed Lily’s Puma shirt–too cute Mary Anne :-).
Thanks! Emma and Lily are lucky to get super-cute hand-me-downs from a good friend =)
Great idea! Looks like tons of fun and my E would love it too!!
Kerri
This is an awesome idea for Jack! Thank you Mary Anne!
What a great idea! There are so many creative things the kids can do with play-dough and marbles. I had never thought of combining them before this post. I’ve linked up to your post on my weekly favorites here: http://play2grow.blogspot.com/2011/05/weekly-favorites-for-may-29-2011.html
Thank you so much for linking to me! Off to check it out =)
Abby likes to put beads and buttons in her playdough. She makes all kinds of creations with it. Isn’t it so fun to see kids enjoy such simple activities?!
We’ll have to try that as well – I’m sure the kids will love it!
I love Lily’s looks of intense concentration! She reminds a lot of Leila when she’s in her zone. :)
Great idea. We’re always looking for something new to do with playdough.
I agree – great idea. Lily looks very serious in the last picture :)
How fun! I wonder if the cake tins you used were part of Emma’s inspiration for making “baked goods” out of her play dough and marbles. :) I like Lily’s prints as well. What a great activity!
It may well have been!
WE have never combined play dough and marbles – great idea!
Princess would have been making cakes and cookies too. Everything she makes are cakes and cookies.
Cakes and cookies are always fun!
What a great way to play with play dough!
I always forget about the playdoh!!!! Guess we’ll be pulling that out soon! They look like they’re having so much fun!