10/05/2025
BEFORE YOU PUT A TAB IN CHILD’S HANDS, GIVE HIM/HER PLAY DOUGH.
Often, parents and caregivers think screens are an easy fix when children are bored. But what if a simple swap could spark creativity, build life skills, and keep them engaged for hours?
Have you heard of clay dough aka play dough?
Clay dough is something you can make for your child or children at home. It is a perfect alternative to clay soil when it comes to developing manipulation skills, refining motor skill, developing of attention and concentration)
Besides hours of countless fun(using clay dough)for your children, here are why it’s a must-have for every parent, caregiver, and educator:
1. Fine Motor Skills - the small muscles of the hand that children use to hold, carry things and write.
Pinching, rolling, and molding dough strengthens tiny hand muscles, preparing children for writing, buttoning shirts, and using scissors.
2. Instant Calm Button
The rhythmic squishing and shaping act like a sensory stress ball. After a chaotic day, 10 minutes of dough play can reset moods and soothe anxiety.
Hand them play and see the magic
3. Creativity Unleashed
No rules, no screens, no limits.
A blob becomes a rocket, a flower, or a monster with googly eyes. This open-ended play fuels imagination and original thinking the kind AI can’t replicate.😄
4. Hand-Eye Coordination
Poking “eyes” into a dough face or cutting shapes with tools sharpens coordination. These skills translate to catching a ball, typing, or even driving later in life.
5. Social Skills
“Can I borrow the knife?”
“Let’s build a zoo together!”
Sharing tools, collaborating, and role-playing teach empathy, negotiation, and teamwork.
6. Sneaky Learning Lab
📌Literacy: Shape letters, spell names, or act out stories.
📌Math: Count “sprinkles,” divide dough into fractions, sort by color or create shapes.
📌Science: Mix colors, explore textures, or discuss “What happens if we add more water?” of course, they want to know the composition of the play dough 😄
7. Focus & Patience
Creating intricate designs (like a dough birthday cake with “layers”) teaches kids to slow down, plan, and persist, a big counterbalance to instant-screen-gratification culture.
8. Sensory Exploration
Different textures engage touch, smell, and sight, helping sensory-sensitive children explore comfortably.
9. Problem-Solving
“How do I make this tower stand?”
“Why does my dough keep crumbling?”
Trial and error builds critical thinking and resilience. Skils that fuel future innovators.
10. Unplugged Joy
No batteries, no Wi-Fi, no ads. Just pure, screen-free play that reminds children (and adults!) that the simplest tools can spark the biggest joy.
The struggle for many parents is how to get their busy or keep their child off-screen. A world that is pushing screens onto children earlier and earlier, play dough is a quiet rebellion. It’s proof that hands-on, messy, imaginative play still matters for children's brain development, emotional health, and family connection.
So next time your child reaches for a tablet, hand them dough instead. Watch them create, learn, and grow one squishy artwork at a time.
Picture 1: Children working with play dough
Picture 2: How to make playdough
