• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Get Our Latest Updates: Download a FREE Set of Coloring Pages! ⇾

Menu Icon
Close Extra Navigation
  • Coloring Posters
  • Coloring Pages
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
    • Giant Coloring Posters
    • Coloring Pages
    • Virtual Preschool • Semesters
    • Virtual Preschool • Weekly
    • Directed Drawings
    • Gift Card
  • Blog
    • Sensory
    • Art
    • Outdoor
    • Science
    • Draw
    • Math
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
Friends Art Lab

Friends Art Lab

LOGIN

Menu Icon
Close Extra Navigation
  • Coloring Posters
  • Coloring Pages
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
    • Giant Coloring Posters
    • Coloring Pages
    • Virtual Preschool • Semesters
    • Virtual Preschool • Weekly
    • Directed Drawings
    • Gift Card
  • Blog
    • Sensory
    • Art
    • Outdoor
    • Science
    • Draw
    • Math
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
go to homepage
  • Coloring Posters
  • Coloring Pages
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
    • Giant Coloring Posters
    • Coloring Pages
    • Virtual Preschool • Semesters
    • Virtual Preschool • Weekly
    • Directed Drawings
    • Gift Card
  • Blog
    • Sensory
    • Art
    • Outdoor
    • Science
    • Draw
    • Math
  • Coloring Posters
  • Coloring Pages
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
    • Giant Coloring Posters
    • Coloring Pages
    • Virtual Preschool • Semesters
    • Virtual Preschool • Weekly
    • Directed Drawings
    • Gift Card
  • Blog
    • Sensory
    • Art
    • Outdoor
    • Science
    • Draw
    • Math
Friends Art Lab / Blog / Play Dough Monsters

Play Dough Monsters

Author: Kristian Klebofski    Published: 10/17/2023     Updated: 04/18/2024

Play dough monsters are everything: they’re easy, fun, open-ended, and loaded with opportunities for imagination and creativity! Let’s have a play dough monster mash.

A blue table is covered in seven play dough monsters made of play dough, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners. A small child's hand reaches for one of the monsters.
Table of Contents:
  1. Your kids will LOVE making play dough monsters
  2. Play dough monsters are perfect for Halloween and birthday parties
  3. Materials
  4. How do you make a play dough monster?
  5. Why play dough is the best
  6. FAQ

Your kids will LOVE making play dough monsters

Play dough invitations are always a fun idea, but PLAY DOUGH MONSTERS?

A league of their own.

They’re 28% adorable, 17% the-cutest-ever, 39% I-can’t-even handle them, and 16% someone-get-me-a-paper-bag-to-breath-into precious.

What’s not to love about silly, goofy little monsters that are not scary and ONLY fun and happy?

PLUS, setting them up takes minutes.

RELATED: Our GIANT 10-foot Monster coloring banner is the ultimate activity for monster fun!

A rainbow play dough monster sits on a blue table.

Play dough monsters are perfect for Halloween and birthday parties

Many families have a “This Little Monster is 1” (or another age) party, and this would be an easy, adorable, inexpensive station at a party.

Play dough monsters are also perfect for Halloween festivities.

Honestly, they’re perfect any time of year and kids will love them in October just as much as they will in January and June.

Looking for more play dough activities? These are simply a-dough-able:

  • Mystery Play Dough Colors
  • 2-Ingredient Halloween Frosting Dough
  • Outer Space Play Dough
  • Play Dough Hide and Seek
The materials needed: pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and play dough.

Materials

Friends Art Lab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

  • Play dough – I normally make homemade play dough, but here we used pre-made gluten-free dough
  • Googly eyes
  • Pipe cleaners

Add anything else that you think your kids might enjoy creating with!

A small, child's hand pushes a pink pipe cleaners into a flatted ball of red and orange play dough to make a play dough monster.

How do you make a play dough monster?

Set out your play dough and accessories.

Invite your kids to use their imagination to create adorable, happy, goofy play dough monsters.

Your kids will have a blast adding silly amounts of eyes, arms, and legs to their marvelous monsters.

How to clean up play dough monsters

Your child might want to keep their play dough creations, in which case you’ll only need to clean up the extra supplies.

In a preschool setting, our kids FLY through googly eyes and pipe cleaners, so at the end of play time, we have the kids deconstruct the monsters and put all the supplies together.

Then, the next day, we have the same amount of materials, and kids can make monsters all over again.

You might wonder, “Will they still want to make monsters if they’re just going to get taken apart at the end?” and the answer is yes. It’s like a block center: when done, the blocks get put back so they’re ready to be played with again the next day.

An outstretched hand holds five balls of play dough in yellow, red, green, blue, and purple.

Why play dough is the best

Play dough is one of my love languages (and I’ve never met a kid who didn’t love it just the same).

When kids are playing with play dough, they’re:

  • Building fine motor strength which is essential for building up the muscles used for handwriting
  • Using their imagination to build, shape, mold, and create
  • Exploring color theory by mixing colors together
  • Learning about measurement if following a homemade play dough recipe with you
  • Practicing vocabulary skills by narrating as they play
  • Using their tactile sense by exploring a new sensory material

Play dough is the best and I love any opportunity for kids to play with it and use their imaginations.

Have fun creating!

A yellow and orange play dough monster has two goggly eyes and two yellow pipe cleaner legs.

FAQ

What age is this activity recommended for?

Any age that can safely enjoy the materials.

Can I use pre-made play dough?

Of course! Pre-made play dough is typically more expensive than homemade, but sometimes it’s worth it for the quick and easy convenience.

Do you have a gluten-free dough recipe?

I do not have a gluten-free dough recipe, but I have used this pre-made gluten-free dough (it’s coincidentally what we used here!) and it’s OUTSTANDING. {affiliate link}

A blue and orange play dough monster is covered in googly eyes and pipe cleaners.

Friends Art Lab Best Resources:

GIANT 10-Foot Coloring Banners 🎨
Printable Coloring Pages for Kids ✍🏼
Learn About Virtual Preschool 🖥️
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
← Previous Post
Halloween Lava Lamp Science Experiment
Next Post →
Halloween Moon Sand Sensory Activity

EXPLORE A CATEGORYArt, Sensory

Related Activities

  • Mystery Play Dough Colors Sensory Activity
  • The EASIEST Play Dough Recipe Ever
  • A large circle of black dough is adorned with loose parts: glow in the dark stars, acrylic gems, bouncy balls, and star beads.
    Outer Space Play Dough Activity
  • Halloween Sensory Spaghetti = Epic Sensory Play

Let’s Stay Connected!

Get our favorite ideas and news sent directly to your inbox.

Reader Interactions

LEAVE A COMMENT

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Kristian

Hi, I’m Kristian!

I have spent over 15 years in the preschool classroom, I have a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, and I was a college professor of education for eight years. My passion is sharing creative learning activities for children and I'm so happy you're here.

LEARN MORE

Best Summer Activities

A collage of water table activities around the perimeter and in the center reads the text "30+ water table activities for kids"

Water Table Activities for Kids

A smiling preschooler stands outdoors at a water table, holding and squeezing a yellow sponge over a bin of turquoise water. The child’s colorful shirt and the bright green yard create a playful backdrop for this joyful moment during sponge water play for kids.

Sponge water play for kids

Hands holding a set of freshly frozen neon paint popsicles with distinct rainbow stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, ready for painting outdoors on a white surface.

How to Make Neon Paint Popsicles

A young girl with long blonde hair and a pink shirt smiles while playing at a white table filled with colorful neon water bins. Each bin holds a different bright color, and paint bottles are lined up behind them. The scene takes place on a sunny patio surrounded by greenery. This playful moment highlights the joy of neon water outdoor play for preschoolers.

Neon Water Outdoor Play Preschool Summer Activity

ALL SUMMER POSTS

Best Sensory Activities

A collage of water table activities around the perimeter and in the center reads the text "30+ water table activities for kids"

Water Table Activities for Kids

A smiling preschooler stands outdoors at a water table, holding and squeezing a yellow sponge over a bin of turquoise water. The child’s colorful shirt and the bright green yard create a playful backdrop for this joyful moment during sponge water play for kids.

Sponge water play for kids

A young girl with long blonde hair and a pink shirt smiles while playing at a white table filled with colorful neon water bins. Each bin holds a different bright color, and paint bottles are lined up behind them. The scene takes place on a sunny patio surrounded by greenery. This playful moment highlights the joy of neon water outdoor play for preschoolers.

Neon Water Outdoor Play Preschool Summer Activity

Side-by-side image showing a box of food coloring and a bin of green glitter water with two wooden spoons, part of a taste-safe sensory play setup.

Taste-Safe Sensory Play Shimmer Water

ALL SENSORY POSTS

Footer

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok

Friends Art Lab Shop

  • Coloring Banners
  • Virtual Preschool
  • Coloring Pages
  • Directed Draws
  • Affiliate Shop

Visit the Blog

  • Sensory
  • Art
  • Outdoor
  • Science
  • Draw
  • Math

Customer Service

  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Return Policy
  • Gift Card
  • FAQ
  • About Us

© 2025 Friends Art Lab ·  Privacy Policy ·  Terms & Conditions ·  Disclosure ·  SITE CREDITS