Homemade Playdoh Recipe

Here is a traditional playdoh recipe that some nice teacher passed on to me many years ago.  Kids love playdoh AND they love to COOK so be sure to get them involved with the pouring and the mixing too!

* 1 cup flour
* 1 cup warm water
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* 1 teaspoon oil
* 1/4 cup salt
* food coloring

**You can also add all sorts of yummy scents to add a bit more sensory input!  Maybe try pumpkin pie spice with your orange playdoh or some peppermint oil for the holidays.....YUM! 

Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last.

Cook over medium heat until smooth. Continue cooking after the mixture thickens, and continue to cook until the dough comes together in the pan to form a ball. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when completely cool.
Store in a cool place and avoid allowing condensation to form in the storage container.

If there are lots of little people in your world, make up a big batch of this playdoh and divide it up in small containers.....add a couple of cookie cutters tied up with a bright colored ribbon and you've got an instant smile to share!

Jen Dermody, OTR/L

Kiddie Kabobs

Looking for a fun fine motor activity that will also get your kids wanting to eat healthy?  Kiddie Kabobs have long been a favorite at my house! All you need are some wooden shish-kabob skewer sticks, a cheap buy at any grocery, and some fresh fruit.  The skewer sticks do have a point at one end so you'll want to be sure there is adult supervision but the kids will want to try this themselves.  Provide a variety of fruit that is simple to skewer such as grapes, strawberries, banana slices, melon, blueberries, and raspberries.  Mini marshmallows and cheese cubes work great too!  The kids can load up the skewer sticks with their favorites and then feast away.  It's a sure bet they'll want to go back for seconds!  Picking up the fruit to place on the skewer stick encourages a three finger grasp and requires some coordination.  You can add some challenges by counting how many pieces are on each skewer or making patterns with the fruit (such as strawberry, grape, grape, strawberry, or a color pattern).  Yum! Yum!

Jen Dermody, OTR/L

"Kool" Recipe

Who doesn't love play dough?!   If the kids are looking for something to do on a summer afternoon, gather up a few ingredients and whip up some Kool-Aide Play Dough!   It's cheap and easy AND it smells good too :-)   Play dough is a GREAT way to encourage fine motor development.  Show the kids how to roll the play dough into balls or a snake shape or even a pancake.  Give them a few simple tools like a rolling pin, cookie cutters, and plastic knives, and there sure to keep busy for quite a while!  Here's a recipe I've used from http://www.food.com/:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages of Kool-Aide (you pick the flavor!)
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 cups boiling water (parents get to do this part)
• 3 tablespoons oil

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients, add wet.
2. Knead until smooth (careful---it's HOT and may take a minute or 2 before you can really get your hands in there to knead). You might need extra flour for desired consistency.
3. Grab the cookie cutters and rollers and have FUN!!!

Jen Dermody, OTR/L