Playdough Center

Preschool Play Dough Center

Do your kids love playing with play dough in your classroom or at home? Here are some of my best tips for setting up and organizing your playdough center in your preschool or pre-k classroom. I’ve also included my favorite play dough recipe and dough tools to increase student engagement in this popular center.

Preschool Play Dough Tools

How to Organize Your Play Dough Center

There are a few ways to set up and organize your play dough area in the classroom – some are more effective than others. You could just throw some cans of store bought doh and all the dough accessories into a tub and call it a day. But this scenario usually ends up with kids being frustrated because they can’t find the doh tools they want. Don’t even get me started on the cans of dried out, crumbled dough that will have your kids bouncing from this area in minutes.

Setting Up the Play Dough Area
The alternative is to have an open tub or basket for each type of dough tool or accessory, and each tub is clearly labeled with pictures and words. The tubs are available on a shelf located near a table or other flat surface.

Rolling Pins in the Play Dough Center
I prefer to use a countertop in the classroom if available because tasks like rolling doh are best done in a standing position. Young children don’t have much upper body strength. They usually end up standing or kneeling when they play with dough, even if chairs are provided. A standing position allows children a better angle at which they can roll and manipulate the dough.

Purple Play Dough

Homemade Playdough Recipes

You can always make your own playdough to use in your classroom. This is the BEST DIY homemade playdough recipe that I’ve used in my own classroom for many years.

Play Dough Recipes for Preschool

More recipes:

Play Dough Resources

Play Dough Tools for Preschool

The Best Play Dough Tools

Center Essentials Cover 400

1. Textured Rolling Pins
2. Dough Extruders
3. Plastic Dough Scissors
4. Cookie Cutters
5. Alphabet Dough Stampers

Making Playdough Cupcakes in Preschool

Dough Stampers

Check out how this child used Dough Stampers to make numbers in cupcakes- what fun! The silicone cupcake liners are from the dollar store.

Using Cookie Cutters in Play Doh
This little one is having fun with cookie cutters in the play dough center!

Stamping Letters of Name in Doh

Play Dough Names

Your kids will be learning and having fun while stamping their names in play dough with these Alphabet Dough Stampers!

Cutting Play Dough with Plastic Scissors

Cutting Play Dough

Using scissors to cut play dough is excellent cutting practice! These Plastic Dough Scissors are perfect for cutting dough. Since these scissors are entirely plastic, there aren’t any metal blades to rust.

Rolling Play Doh with rolling pin

Rolling Play Dough

These sturdy, wooden rolling pins are perfect for exercising and strengthening the muscles of the hands, wrists, and shoulders needed for holding and writing with pencils and crayons!

How to set up a playdough center

The Teaching Trailblazers

Having a play dough station available daily in your classroom is awesome! But let’s face it, play dough can’t make you a better teacher. The best place to discuss teaching best practices and get the support you need is in the Teaching Trailblazers. We have many printable lessons and on-demand video trainings to help you become the best teacher you can be! If you want to get on the waiting list for the Teaching Trailblazers, do it soon so you don’t miss the next open enrollment period!

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Get your FREE playdough recipe

Discover more playdough ideas

Get playdough task cards

Textured rolling pins

Dough extruders

Plastic dough scissors

Cookie cutters

Alphabet dough stampers

Liquid watercolors 

Center Essentials Cover 400

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