Did you know adequate play promotes healthy child development? All the great providers of childcare in Macquarie Park recognise the need for play in early childhood. At Kids Planet Academy, play is an essential part of our curriculum because we understand its impact on child growth and development.
Playing with dough is one of the games every child deserves to be given an opportunity to play. It promotes creative thinking and equips your child with essential intellectual and motor skills. Their physical strength also gets better as they roll, squish and engage in other activities involved in this play.
Playing with dough at home keeps your child occupied as you wind down from a busy day. It also creates a great bonding platform as children show off their newly made shapes to you.
Even though you can get dough from the stores at very affordable prices, the other great alternative is to make it at home. You won’t spend a lot. Besides, your child can help you come up with as many colours as they want.
Our childcare experts have put together an easy to follow DIY recipe for making play dough at home. Check it out:
What You Need:
A cup of flour
A cup of water
2 tablespoons of cream of tartar (Potassium bitartrate)
1 a tablespoon of olive oil or vegetable oil
Half a cup of salt
Assorted food colouring
Rubber gloves
Steps To Making Play Dough
Step 1: Bring the water to a boil and then set aside
Step 2: Mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl i.e. the flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Ensure they are evenly mixed such that you can’t see films of flour or salt.
Step 3: Add the boiled water to the food colour of your choice in a separate bowl. Mix well until the final solution looks like a diluted food colour.
Step 4: Add your chosen oil in a pot then pour in the water containing the food colour. Stir until they mix well.
Step 5: Now add the mixture of the dry ingredients and stir continuously to avoid forming lumps.
Step 6: Cook over low heat while stirring until the dough starts to harden. Take off the heat as soon as it starts to ball into a lump.
Step 7: Place it on a clean lightly floured kneading board and leave to cool.
Step 8: Once it has cooled, separate your dough into sizable balls then knead each of them. Continue kneading and floor the kneading board constantly if it gets sticky. Five minutes of kneading should leave it soft and stretchy. Add oil if you feel it is too dry to your liking.
Step 9: Repeat the process using all the other colours you wish to have.
How To Tell If Your Dough Is Ready
It can stretch into a paper-thin strip without breaking.
It doesn’t break easily.
It springs right back after you press with a finger.
It is free from lumps.
It is soft to touch.
It doesn’t sag between your fingers if you hold it in your arm.
Now That It Is Ready, What Next?
Store the dough your child doesn’t need in the refrigerator in zipper bags (it could last up to six months). Using a rolling pin, spread the remaining dough then cut it into pieces.
You can thereafter let your child experiment making shapes and figurines out of it. Help them cut different shapes using your kitchen cookie cutters. Speak to a good provider of childcare in Macquarie Park if you wish to learn more about the best play dough activities for your child’s age.
Engaging them in the making of this valuable plaything makes them more responsible since they won’t want to see their work destroyed. They also feel like part of a team coming up with something by your side.
Since the ingredients are non-toxic, let them help with mixing as long as you are around to keep spills in check.
Conclusion
Provided you have all the required ingredients, you can have your dough ready within a short time. The good thing is that there is no limit to the amount you can make, which makes many colours an option. In daycare centres, caregivers utilise dough to teach young children colours, sizes, shapes and other amazing educational values. That is part of the reason why you should get them the best childcare in Macquarie Park.