Children’s eyes light up when playdough and clay are brought out for them to tinker with. They will use their creativity to create some incredible concepts. To create a cake, cookies, stars, the sun, the moon, ornaments, and many other things, they will roll, squeeze, press, and mold the material. The options are absolutely limitless.
Moreover, children can have numerous hours of fun with playdough and clay. It also helps them learn important skills. Playdough has actually been a favorite among kids for a long time since it is the ideal entertaining and instructive toy for kids of all ages. And in today’s technologically advanced world, the appeal of this classic toy remains relevant.
Playdough and clay, whether created at home or purchased from a store, are excellent ways to persuade kids to slow down, take their eyes off of their gadgets, and get them involved in learning and entertaining activities. Even while cleaning up the dried-out dough might be difficult for parents and other caregivers, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks.
Actually, everyone’s favorite childhood toy is playdough and clay. It is non-toxic and reusable, making it the ideal toy for kids of all ages. Do you still have any memories of playing with these cuddly, vibrant toys? It is crucial to support your child’s development through artistic endeavors. Kids can play creatively a lot with playdough and clay. This makes it beneficial for child development, which will be explained further in this article. Read on.
Creative Skills and Imagination
Molding playdough and clay has the ability to help kids give their thoughts and ideas a physical form. Either they will come up with original ideas or they might copy what they see. Younger kids frequently build simple items like balls, pizzas, pancakes, and other things appropriate for their age. However, as they progress through preschool, their creations will change, and soon they will be making buildings, airplanes, various characters, and so on. This process helps in enhancing and channeling their capacity for creative thought, an important life skill that will benefit them as they mature in a variety of ways.
As kids pretend the dough is something else, they also develop symbolic thinking skills with playdough and clay. Fundamentally, through an ongoing cycle of thought and production, symbolic thinking enables children to invent, make, think, and remake themselves. It is the capacity of a youngster to reflect on their ideas and thoughts mentally, whether through words or by making something, such as images, objects, or actions.
Additionally, play dough allows your children to create an infinite number of things, regardless of the number of colors you have available. Your children will be inspired to use their imaginations and think creatively when they make things from scratch.
Fine Motor Skills
Children’s fine motor abilities grow when they squeeze, pound, flatten, or scrape the playdough. They learn eye-hand coordination as they mold the dough with their hands, fingers, and other tools. Their hand and finger dexterity increases, which is important for reaching physical milestones like handling objects, writing, drawing, cutting, and other activities. Additionally, the actions of squishing, rolling, flattening, and more aid in the development of the hand muscles needed for future fine motor tasks like holding a pencil or using scissors.
Math Skills
Your kids can learn several mathematical concepts, such as counting and learning different shapes, while playing with playdough and clay at home or in an early childhood learning facility. They exercise the idea of classifying and sorting unconsciously.
Playdough also helps children learn spatial awareness, or the ability to comprehend how things fit together in a particular place. According to the study, children with great spatial ability go on to have stronger arithmetic skills in primary school. Additionally, your child can learn the alphabet, how to spell their name, memorize numbers, and how to mix plastic or wooden block letters by playing with clay.
Social Skills
Playing with playdough and clay gives your child an excellent experience for social situations when they collaborate with other children or even adults. Your kids’ social skills will improve greatly as a result of sharing different hues, materials, and tools, as well as spending lots of time talking and working together. To encourage them to step outside of their comfort zone and interact with others, ask your kids to explain their thought process as they play.
Supports Literacy and Numeracy
Kids can be tough to engage in learning, especially when it comes to challenging subjects like arithmetic or reading. Thus, playdough and clay are fantastic teaching tools for your kids to learn about numbers, shapes, descriptions, and other concepts.
Key Takeaway
Your kids‘ experiences with molding playdough and clay will always be a fun activity, while helping them develop certain skills as well. Additionally, it has a soothing and healing impact on them. It can aid in children’s emotional expression, relaxation, and energy release. It is obvious why this timeless toy has endured for so long — by having it at home, your children will have fun and learn valuable life skills.
