The smell of gingerbread is filling kitchens everywhere this time of year. And the taste of candy canes is on every child’s lips. The holidays are here and kids are feeling the magic from all angles. Why not take the scent of gingerbread and candy canes and include it in children’s play!? Sensory play doesn’t just have to be about touch and contained in a water table. Let’s make scented homemade playdough for hours of exploration and imaginative play!

Making Homemade Playdough

Peppermint Scented Playdough

  1. Mix together 1.5 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1 Tbsp cream of tartar.
  2. Separately mix 3/4 cup of hot water, 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil, 5 drops of peppermint essential oil, and 5-10 drops of food coloring.
  3. Now, mix both together. As it starts to form, get your hands in there and knead it. Encourage your child to scoop, dump, stir, and knead with you!

Gingerbread Scented Playdough

  1. Mix together 2.25 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of salt, 1.5 Tbsp of cream of tartar, 1.5 Tbsp of cinnamon, 1 Tbsp of ginger, 1/2 Tbsp of nutmeg and 1/2 Tbsp of ground cloves.
  2. Separately mix 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil, and 1 cup of hot water. You can add food coloring if you want, but the spices already give it the perfect brown, rustic look of real gingerbread cookie dough.
  3. With a spoon, add the two mixtures together. Once the homemade playdough is no longer hot you and the kids can use your hands to help mix the final bits of flour into the dough.
  4. Be sure to store both the scented playdough mixtures in airtight containers so they last longer.

Learning Through Play

The best way for young children to learn is through play. It is proven that children digest more when they are interested and enjoying what they are doing.​ Additionally, learning through play provides the opportunity to problem solve, learn cause and effect, develop independence, and more!

STEAM Learning

STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Making playdough is both a math and science project. Children can count how many cups of flour to pour and measure different fractions of ingredients. Science comes into play when the playdough doesn’t turn out just the way you like it, or perhaps if little Joe puts in too much oil. Talk about why the homemade playdough may be too wet and sticky. Can you and your child form a hypothesis as you discuss what else the playdough needs.

Once the children begin playing with the playdough they are intertwining engineering and the arts. They might build a gingerbread house. What if a wall topples over? Your child will have to find a way to make the base of their structure stronger or add more support as it gets taller; this is engineering at its finest. As they sculpt with their hands they are entering the field of arts. Who knew making homemade playdough would reach so many areas of learning!?

Sensory Exploration

Why is sensory play so important for children? Well, they learn by touching and doing. So, letting a child ‘dig in’ helps stimulate his senses in order to facilitate both intellectual learning and physical ability. Be sure to include language development as you play by asking questions and using adjectives to describe the texture and smell.

Together squeeze, roll, mold, and sculpt your homemade playdough knowing you are strengthening fine motor muscles and improving dexterity, which is crucial development for writing skills. What is also great about scented playdough is that it not only allows the sense of touch and sight to be engaged, but smell as well. Smell and taste seem to have some of the strongest triggers on our memory, such as a new car or your grandmother’s perfume. This points out the fact that we all have better retention when more senses are engaged; therefore taking in more knowledge while playing.

Imaginative Play

Playdough can be used to build structures, but it can also be used to let a child’s imagination soar. Offer some holiday cookie cutters, plastic scissors, utensils, or anything you can think of and let your child lead the play. Will they make a whole village of reindeer, build toys in Santa’s workshop, or create a winter wonderland? Once they have created an idea, join in. This shouldn’t be hard with preschoolers as they often dictate which character you will be and what to do next.​

Let yourself be a kid again and enjoy the time playing with your child and the homemade playdough. Have a magical holiday season and keep your eye out for more ways to provide learning through play! If this topic interests you, learn more in our online class: Encouraging Curiosity & Learning Through Play.

About The Author

Kelsey Dickson has over 15 years of experience working with children as a nanny, preschool teacher, and now a mother. She has her degree in Early Childhood Education and is a Certified Potty Training Expert. At Boston Baby Nurse & Nanny she is the eLearning and Social Media Manager. Check out our online childcare classes, such as Baby Sign Language and Sleep Coaching 101! In her free time she enjoys gardening with her children, going for walks with her family, and discovering local wineries in New England.

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