Modelling Dough
Playdough is the most famous brand of modelling dough, and in fact people use the term ‘playdough’ to account for all sorts of modelling doughs on the market. But no matter what you call it, soft, reusable dough is an absolute favourite for preschool children.
To begin with, your child will simply poke, prod, roll and squash the dough with no apparent purpose, but as they do so they will develop fine motor skills and begin to discover just how dough works. They will ask themselves questions like how far can it stretch, how can I make one piece stick to another, and what makes the dough get sticky? All of these questions (and more) will prompt their problem solving skills into high gear.
Asides from fine motor skills, problem solving, and sheer creativity, modelling dough provides the perfect opportunity for children to imitate and play pretend. At around this age, children will stat to “bake” and mimic your behaviour in the kitchen with amazing accuracy. You can encourage this type of play by providing accessories for your child like cookie cutters, rolling pins, baking trays, and pretend ovens.