Playdough Activities for Preschool

​Playdough is one of the preferred activities for a preschooler and teachers like playdough activities for fine motor skills.  The key to getting children actively engaged in activities is to provide learning and play together for the win.

Creating a variety of preschool playdough activities allow children to practice their skills in a fun way.  Below you will find 12 different playdough activities for preschoolers that you can use throughout the year.
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Setting Up A Playdough Routine

When setting up playdough activities for preschoolers always start with teaching children about the expectation and routine for using playdough in the classroom.

• Wash hands
• Get playdough mat or tray
• Keep playdough on table
• Share
• Put lids on tight
• Clean up

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Learning to Use Playdough Tools

Provide children with different types of tools to use with the playdough.  Children will develop their small muscles in their fingers and hands as they manipulate the playdough with the tools.  Through these manipulations children will also develop their eye-hand coordination with the ability to match hand movement with eye movement.  Children will gain strength and improve dexterity in their hands and fingers which is critical for children to learn to write and draw.
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List of tools

• Rollers
• Plastic knives
• Mini tortilla
• Garlic Press
• Citrus press
• Wheel cutters
• Cookie cutters
• Scissors

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Playdough Beginning Skills

Children can learn how to use simple rolling techniques to form different things with playdough. All you need to do is provide children with beginning skill cards so that they can learn to form lines, balls, zig zags and spirals. 
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Playdough Shapes

Bring out containers of playdough to get children talking about the differences between shapes. Children will begin to notice the differences as they roll out long lines to form different shapes.

Playdough Emotions

It’s important for preschool children to learn how to label and learn about their emotions, playdough mats with emotional cards are the perfect way to get your children laughing and talking about their feelings.
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Playdough Picture Building

To get children to build different things with playdough provide them with picture building cards to help them discover that they can make different objects with the playdough.
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Playdough is a great learning tool for children to learn about math concepts.

Playdough Numbers

Children love to count things and playdough is no different, with these playdough number cards children will be able to learn to form numbers and count out amounts.
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Playdough 10 Frame Counting

Step up the number game with 10 frame mats.  Children can identify numbers and make that amount on the 10 frame mats.
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Playdough Roll Count & Write

Roll count and write mats have always been one of my go to activities to do with my preschoolers, but I have to say that the playdough roll count and write is my favorite because children have to make their own balls of playdough to count.  Which I feel is a lot more enjoyable for them to do.

Playdough Patterns

With playdough you will only need a few things to set up an engaging activity for your preschoolers to practice and extend patterns.
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Playdough Measurement

How long can you make your playdough snake?  Children will be fascinated to see how long they can make a playdough snake without breaking it. After they have rolled out their snake, they can measure it using counters or a simple inchworm ruler.
 

Playdough Letter Formation

Playdough is a great medium to learn how to form letters.
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Playdough Syllable Smashing

Grab some playdough, toy hammers and have children make some balls of playdough and smash out the sound segments in words.
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What to see more?

Find all of this and more in the growing pack of playdough activities for preschoolers.