Make Your Own Spring Scented Playdoughs

The official start of Spring is just 16 days away, but who's counting? And with these easy to make Spring Scented Playdoughs, you don't have to! You can dig into this well before you dig into the garden beds. We love playdough in any season here, and really need no special occasion to make a batch (or get out some store bought) for fun. And when I need a little sensory fun of my own, making it myself is quite enjoyable (shhh, don't tell my kids)!

I had the house to myself for a bit last Sunday and wanted to mix up a new batch, but I couldn't decide on a color or even a scent or add in--so I picked more than one! You can stick to one, a combo or even concoct your own. Here's how I made my three Spring Scented Playdoughs and a peek at how we've been playing with them here:

For all three recipes, I began with this base:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 heaping tablespoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 cups water

Cook over medium heat on stove-top, stirring until a dough thickens and forms in the center of the pot. Remove from heat and let cool before kneading any lumps into the dough. Divide into smaller balls for however many varieties you're making (or leave whole if you're doing just one). *You can add in the optional essential oils for a stronger scent.* Kids would definitely enjoy the part of kneading the add-ins into the dough once it's cool enough to handle. To avoid staining your hands, I like to poke a few indentations into the dough and add a drop of food coloring into each one. I knead it until it is thoroughly mixed and then decide if I want to add more. For a more pastel look (like mine) use less color, for a bolder shade, use more. Liquid watercolor can also be used in lieu of food coloring.

Store your playdoughs in airtight containers or ziplock bags between use to avoid drying out. I typically keep it around for a couple of weeks--using fresh or dried leaves and flowers can shorten the shelf life a bit so keep an eye (and nose) on it!

Back to Basics Petal Playdough: This one is definitely one to get the kids in on. You can make your basic dough recipe in advance if you prefer and have it cooled and ready to go. You'll also need:

• some fresh flowers, preferably on their way out anyway
• scissors
• mortar and pestle

Here's where the fun comes in. You get to cut, tear, crush and grind those colorful petals to your heart's desire. Y had a lot of fun with this part--almost as much fun as he did kneading the results into our playdough. We happened to have some old tulips and roses on their way to the compost bin and they were given a lovely second life in this playdough.

Fresh Mint Playdough: for this one you'll add in...

• green food coloring
• chopped mint leaves
• peppermint essential oil or extract* 

Rose Petal Playdough: for this one, you'll add in...

• pink food coloring (or red)
• dried rose petals such as those bought for soap-making or potpourri, or dry, crush and mix in your own (like in the back to basics petal playdough)
• rose essential oil*

If you're a Playdough Purist, you'll probably only want one color out at a time. If you're a Wild Child like I am, let it all hang out and intermingle and mix. You only live once! We loved playing indoors in our little Garden Shop making a colorful garden tea party. We also had a lot of fun taking it outside to make birthday cakes for Dr. Seuss's birthday yesterday.

Spring will be here soon enough with its own bounty of playdough add-ins and petal play. So stay tuned! And until then...

Happy Playing!

Lavender Playdough

• purple food coloring (or red and blue)
• dried lavender buds
• lavender essential oil*

Three Great Purim Activities You Can Take Outside!

If costumes inside are fun, imagine
costumes outside at the park!

Today we're going to Get Outside And...PURIM! If this holiday isn't enough fun already, let's take it to the park (or backyard). In fact, that is exactly what we did in our most recent outdoor playgroup event--a Purim Popup Play at the Park. And the best parts about these activities is that you can do them outside or indoors, many of the materials needed are likely in (or outside of) your home, and they can be adapted for year round use.

1. Stick Puppets

Stick Puppet created by
a three year old!

Puppetry is a great way to retell the story of Purim for young children. You can make Purim puppets in a number of ways, but I particularly love using nature's loose parts when I can and sticks are a fabulous loose part. Send your puppeteers on a search for the perfect stick! All you'll need to add to the mix are any loose craft parts you have on hand (we used google eyes, fabric scraps, pipe cleaners, some wool roving and a handful of buttons, gems and sequins). Now here's the one material I can't sing the praises of enough: nontoxic gel medium. I can't believe I made it 35 years before I found out about this! Found in the painting/acrylics section of craft supply stores or online, this works with all the power of a hot glue gun and none of the heat! It is worth the investment as kids can glue loose parts together without the frustration of them falling off while it sets. It takes a very small amount to work and it dries clear. I like to use condiment containers with lids to transport it to the park (or any small dish/piece of cardboard inside) and a craft stick to apply it. Let the kids have at it and design their puppets. They will surely tell some great versions of the Purim story and many other stories to come.

The storytelling continues at home. S is manning
my Stick Puppet and Y is donning a hand dyed cape!

2. Hand Dyed Capes Capes are for more than just superheroes. Wizards, fairies, royalty and just kids who need to fly a little faster might need a cape from time to time. And hand dyeing your own is so fun (and easy)! 

You will need:

• white flour sack dish cloths (sold in bulk at Walmart or similar stores or even online--even better if you happen to have some stained ones in your kitchen stash that need to be upcycled)
• liquid watercolor or food coloring or fabric dye (I used liquid watercolors--I am not sure how permanent they will be upon washing so for a permanent dye stick to ones intended for fabric)
• water to dilute dye
• pipettes (I bought in bulk on Amazon)
• glass jars or cups to fill with/transport your dyes
• foil pans or similar item to work within
• smocks to cover clothing

The children had so much fun dropping bits of color across the fabric. I separated warm and cool colors initially for the children so they would blend without turning brown, but even those who chose to mix all six colors I provided (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple) came up with gorgeous results! If you're outdoors, hang or drape your capes to air dry. Once dry, they can be tied around the shoulders as a cape. They also make fabulous doll blankets, picnic blankets, and whatever else your little ones may come up with.

If you are hosting a park party and need to send these home still damp, I'd recommend having a plastic bag on hand for each family.

3. Invitation to Dress Up Peg Dolls in Playdough Costumes

Wooden peg dolls are great for storytelling and small world play. They are a great way to retell the Purim story as well. Many times, we use wooden peg dolls or peg clothespins for permanent crafts, but in this fun playdough invitation, the crafting is temporary. Costumes are created using playdough in a variety of colors and small loose craft parts. I also like to set out some cookie cutters in various sizes, rolling pins and plastic knives. There are so many ways to play and it is quite fun to dress, undress and dress again the little wooden dolls. You can easily send a little gift package home with this as well by slipping a couple of peg dolls and party sized playdough containers in a bag to go.

This little 2 year old had so much fun dressing up his peg dolls that he decided he needed a costume to wear as well and visited our giant laundry sack of costumes to choose the perfect jester's hat for the occasion!

S created costumes by rolling out the dough and wrapping it around each peg. He told me the one in pink is Queen Esther and the one in green is her uncle, Mordechai.

Whether you take these out to the park, to your own backyard, or inside, I hope they get everyone into the Purim spirit! We are so excited for the upcoming holiday here and are counting down the days until it begins next Monday night!

Until then...

Happy Playing!

A Peek Inside Our Playroom: Trees & Loose Parts

Something about the dead of winter makes me itch to get outside and play! And it is only fitting that it is typically in the dead of winter that Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish "new year of the trees" is celebrated, honoring the new season for fruit trees in Israel. Here in the mid-Atlantic US, our fruit trees are still pretty dormant. It will be a couple of months yet before we see buds and blossoms and the return of their leaves. But trees of all kinds are something to be celebrated (and played about) in any season! And one of my very favorite ways to play is with loose parts.


Over the past few weeks, I've gradually stocked and shifted materials on our shelves that have something to do with trees--whether it's that they are made from wood, come from a tree, are about trees or some of the wildlife that live in them...

Our Nature Table is set up for some Tree-riffic Small World Play...

Whether it's building and designing with loose parts on our rug, sculpting with salt dough, small world play or constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing foam trees with loose parts, there's something for everyone here--even little C!

I began by stocking our play shelves with various wooden loose parts and blocks, tree blocks, cinnamon sticks, wooden peg people, seasonal accents and decorations having to do with trees and even a collection of wooden teething toys in various shapes.

Sometimes the kids will play with a set up of loose parts for weeks and other times, I can tell when it starts to get a bit stale... In this case, rather than do a huge overhaul, I add something in, maybe swap a few things. Who says trees can't also be a celebration of color? So I added in some burlap ribbon, and later our wooden Grimms rainbow stacker and peg people set, some felt squares and rainbow scarves...

And just like that, it's as if it were brand spankin' new!

A small world setup by S

How far can you go...

Meanwhile, at the atelier...

The boys worked on sculptures with salt dough and a variety of loose parts including feathers, sticks, pussy willow branches, peg clothespins, cinnamon sticks, wooden craft sticks, golf tees, and other small wooden loose parts. I set out some clay/dough tools as well. This could certainly also be done with clay or playdough. I chose salt dough for it's ability to air dry in case the boys would create something they wanted to preserve.





When the salt dough was past its prime, I swapped in some craft foam "trees," and golf tees, feathers, sticks and pussy willow branches, artificial flowers, leaves, snowflakes, apples and even some random cabinet knobs I once purchased for a project that didn't work out...

I was amazed at how into this the boys got. The sculptures emerged, shifted, morphed, changed and even came with stories...

A creation by Y

A creation by S

Another one of Y's masterpieces...

S's "Robotic Tree. He has arms, a face and holes that caterpillars munched in him..."

"...he even has feet!"

Trees are such a versatile and wonderful play theme no matter the season or the reason!

Want to do more?

• Read here for more about trees
• Read here for more about Tu b'Shevat, to be celebrated this year on Monday, February 10, 2020 (beginning sundown the night before)

Well, I've got to make like a tree and leave! We'll be back soon and until then...

Happy Playing!

Mad Science Monday, Pesach Edition: Digging in the Desert STEM Challenge

 The days preceding Pesach are a time of cleaning out cupboards, kitchens, refrigerators and freezers in many Jewish homes around the world. My boys have eaten more cereal and french fries in the past week than they have over the course of the entire year! They are quite pleased with this. I have such a pet peeve for food waste and it is painful to just "throw things out" that we won't use. I did, admittedly, throw out the boys' snow balls that I rediscovered in the back of the freezer from January! And while many are hesitant toward using food products in play for a variety of personal, cultural and/or allergy reasons, I think there are times when a shot at life in a sensory table is better than a shot across the room into the trash barrel. So the good news? We used up the flour and the bottle of baby oil that had been in our medicine cabinet since Y was born so I could get the sticky goo off my skin from the bandage over my c-Section wound! And, we made our own sand dough. 
I would admonish that this is a messy activity more suited for outdoor use (which is what we did) or indoor use when you are not trying to clean your homes of chametz before Pesach. The recipe for sand dough is incredibly simple:

Ingredients:
8 cups all purpose flour
1 cup baby oil

I will say that I did not measure my ingredients at all even given the ratio of the original recipe. I honestly just dumped 2 opened bags of flour into our sensory table bin and subsequently emptied the remaining contents of the bottle of baby oil we had. On its own, the dough was a bit crumbly and powdery but when squeezed between the hands or molded into ice cube trays, cups and even mega blocks, it held together to make shapes and bricks that the boys could use to build.

It is perfect for sand castles, igloos and even pyramids. Why, oh why, do we still teach our children that the Jewish people enslaved in Egypt were forced to build the pyramids?! Oh gosh, I don't know. Historical timelines show this to be impossible and the liturgy itself states that the Jewish people were building warehouses for Pharoah, not pyramids. Nonetheless, pyramid building brings forth a fascinating geometrical and engineering challenge for little ones and so we continue...

S and Y were so excited to get outside and dig in our desert! They have grown accustomed to a new routine of waking up from afternoon rest time, eating a quick dinner and bolting out the front or back door. They both ran right over to the sensory table and began to dig, fill, shape and mold the dough. I set up the bin quite simply at first, with just a couple of shovels, ice cube trays, some mega blocks and a little fisher price construction worker. We have added some less played with toys from indoors into our backyard setup so that they can take on new life and function while I try to function at keeping our garden alive this season. The boys LOVE using mega blocks, construction trucks, dinosaurs and little people outside now! And they had just as much fun using them in our sand dough table as well.

I overheard S singing a popular Pesach children's song as he played:
Dig, dig, dig, dig your shovel deep
Dig, dig, dig, there's no time for sleep
For it's work, work, work,
Every day and every night
For it's work, work, work
When it's dark and when it's light.

He added that he was very "happy to be working." And then he took to calling me Pharoah instead of Mommy. I'm taking this as an overall compliment, I think...

This was such a fun activity that since the weather was predicted to remain dry, I decided to cover our sensory bin with a trash bag overnight and leave it for the boys to play with again.

Getting outside is such a natural way to incorporate science into your play and learning routine. STEM challenges, sensory play and nature exploration in and of itself all promote skills in engineering, observation, experimentation and critical thinking. The boys? Well, they mostly think they're playing and they are having a great time! So whether you are looking to empty those last bags of flour (and I'm banking that you could probably also use another type of oil) or whether you will save this one in the vault for after Pesach and build a backyard beach and sand castle, homemade sand dough is an easy and cost effective way to build, learn and play before Pesach and all year round!

Happy Working Playing!

Get Outside And...Play with Peppermint Playdough and Petals

I grew up always hearing the gardeners in my life complain about weeds and yet, as an adult who gardens, I cannot help but be completely fascinated and enamored with them! Indeed, while something I plant with intention and care can whither at the mere thought of too much water, not enough sun, shifts in soil pH or an approaching pest, a dandelion sprouts up with vigor and vim between the cracks of our sidewalk. Weeds are amazing! They are independent, self-sufficient, often times beautiful and adapt to the many shifts and changes in their environment. And in the spring, weeds are often among the first signs of renewal of renewal in our yards and gardens. Indeed, the first colorful blooms of the season in our yard are the abundance of weeds that are freely growing where apartment landscaping wants to lawn to be. (I, admittedly prefer the violets and dandelions.)

Petal play is such a whimsical part of childhood. Mixing mud cakes and garden "salads," fairy potions and garden side tea parties would not be possible without the copious amounts of weeds in our yard (and our little snipping garden--but more on that later). And when I'm setting up activities to take outside to our I Wonder station, sometimes it's fun to mix the "traditional" with the "less traditional." We don't often think about playdough as an outdoor activity, but why not? Especially if you are one of those folks who doesn't like the potential mess inside, outside is a great place to take playdough activities! So I grabbed my ingredients and favorite stovetop recipe, added a spring green color with food coloring and some peppermint essential oil for scent, and set up shop outside. I also picked a selection of the most beautiful weeds wildflowers.

In addition to the dough and flowers, I stocked our basket with some favorite playdough tools (rolling pins, plastic knives, cookie cutters) and even some plastic planting pots. One potential issue of playdough play outdoors is surface availability. You may not want your playdough full of soil and mulch (or maybe you do!) and you may not want it stuck to the sidewalk. If you have a table outdoors, that's great, but in the absence of a table to work at, I love plastic trays. I got ours at the Dollar Tree at one point; of course, I haven't seen them there since--but any type of tray will work, even recycled sushi trays.

The boys got to decide how to use the materials and they had a lot of great ideas! I played, too, because even at 30 or so years their senior, petals and peppermint playdough are still such fun!

We had a great time planting playdough flower gardens, making designs and carefully thought out landscaping decisions...

...I even worked a self portrait into creation--striking resemblance, if I do say so myself!

It was fascinating to see the prints left behind in the dough from small leaves and flowers!

In the absence of colorful weeds and wildflowers, or in addition to it, you might consider planting/providing a small snipping garden in your yard. We just recently added ours after I came across the idea in the fabulous play gardening companion, The Garden Classroom: Hands-On Activities in Math, Science, Literacy and Art by Cathy James. In gardening with young children, there can be a world full of "no's." No walking on the garden plot, no picking flowers, no watering over here... I love when I can get to a "yes" and a small garden where it is OK, and even encouraged to snip, pick and play with the flowers (or foliage or herbs) and use them in play of all kinds is the perfect way to do so.

Our snipping garden is just a few inexpensive flowering plants with small blossoms and foliage planted in a plastic window box from last year's dollar store selection. When selecting your "crop," choose whatever is on sale or a small section of your actual flowering plants, herbs or smaller veggies. Perhaps your snipping garden will be an herb garden or a lettuce garden instead, or contain a bit of a few different things. The most important thing is that touching, picking, snipping and using what is growing inside is allowed and encouraged.

Just above the snipping garden hangs a small tin pale with scissors. Tiny garden signs label the space as a "snipping garden" where the boys and guests can "help yourself!" It is situated quite close in proximity to plants that are not for cutting/picking and if this becomes more confusing, I may move it to a more solitary location. Nonetheless, so far the boys have taken quite well to being able to get their hands on this little bitty flower patch while being more cautious and protective over our pansies and strawberry plants int he background!

Playdough activities outdoors add a new and exciting element to a familiar activity that is typically done indoors. This is a great way to inspire outdoor play for children who may be more reluctant toward some of the sensory experiences outside. Here are some variations on the same theme using playdough outdoors:

• Self portraits: as depicted above, you can use balls of dough rolled into circles either on a tray or even on a vertical surface such as a wall, fence, or tree trunk to create a self portrait or funny face using flowers, foliage and nature's loose parts
• Nature prints in playdough: flowers, leaves, pine ones, seeds, pods, small pebbles, acorns...what can you scavenge and discover to add a unique print to playdough?
• Playdough Fairy Gardens: this unique base to fairy garden play is great both indoors and outside, where there is an abundance of nature's loose parts and tiny treasures to add...
• Adding Texture & Scent with Fresh Cut Herbs: In lieu of (or addition to) petals, why not cut some sprigs of fresh herbs from your garden to add to your playdough. Snipped and torn into very tiny pieces, you can add a unique scent and texture to your dough fresh from the garden. We've done this indoors on several occasions (usually when I have some herbs from cooking to use up) and it is a wonderful activity to adapt to outdoor use.
• 
  

  

  In this blast from the past, S is using playdough
  to explore "parts of a flower" (seeds, stems, leaves
  and blossoms)--this is a great activity to take
  outside as well!

• Add Playdough as a Sensory Component of a Potting Shed Dramatic Play Center: Adding elements of dramatic play to your playgarden is a great way to expand on and enhance outdoor play. Empty planting pots, gardening tools and flowers (real or artificial) can be a great addition to your outdoor dramatic play setup and playdough is a great material to add some sensory exploration (not to mention a means to stick your flowers in your pots) to the scene!

And, of course, you can use playdough outdoors in any of the same ways you'd use it indoors. It doesn't even have to be "garden" related. It's easily transportable, you could even take it to the park (we have!) and, especially when you make your own, it is both budget and environmentally friendly overall. So we'll see you outside...

Happy Playing!