There are so many benefits to playing with playdough since it is a therapeutic experience as they squish it, mould it, roll it, punch it, cut it, pinch it, break it and flatten it and children use their imagination in their creations.
Besides hours of countless fun for your kids, what are the benefits of playing with play dough?
Develops fine motor skills
While your kids are squishing and moulding play dough into different shapes, they are actually building up strength in their tiny hands. The acts of squishing, rolling, flattening, and more help your children develop muscles used in their hands for fine motor movements useful in their future life, such as holding a pencil or using scissors.
Calming for children
Much like the stress ball, parents need from time to time to relax, squeezing play dough is great for helping calm down your kids. Playing with it can help ease tension, release excess energy, improve focus, and express emotions. If your child is feeling stressed, sit them down with a tub of play dough and watch their nerves fade away.
Encourages creativity
No matter how many colors you have, there is an unlimited number of creations your kids can make from play dough. Creating objects from scratch encourages your kids to stretch their imaginations and think in new and innovative ways. While playing with playdough, children begin to use symbolic thinking or pretending the playdough is something else. This is an important part of cognitive development and how children are able to express their ideas.
Help them by giving them everyday objects like dried pasta, rice, marbles, small wooden materials like letters to further encourage their creativity.
Enhances hand-eye coordination
The different materials and tools, such as rolling pins and cutters will help develop your child's hand-eye coordination by using them.
Develops self-esteem
There is not right or wrong way to play with playdough. There are endless ways to use it, which helps children build their confidence.
Improves social skills
When your child plays with other kids or even adults with play dough, it’s great for developing social skills. Between sharing various playdough colours, tools, and materials and collaborating for their creations, children will get great practice for how social relationships work. Ask your children to describe their process while they play to help them out of their comfort zone and to engage with others. When they do so, their playdough creations can become much more involved, with different characters and buildings, which enables children to work together and further explore ideas.
Supports the educational process
It's difficult to get kids interested in learning, especially about tricky subjects like reading or math. Play dough is an great tool for teaching your children about counting, shapes and more.
Promotes playtime
In today's technology-driven world, kids are constantly drawn to the next gadget. Give children playdough and encourage them to spend time disconnected. Play dough helps kids slow down and focus on playing while using a number of senses and skills in the process.
For everykid and family the experience is different but there is no doubt that there are endless benefits to playing with playdough. This classic toy has been around for decades, since it not only helps your kids to have fun but it also develops necessary skills for life.
Find our favourite Playdough by Wonderdough here
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