Spring is in the air, and it’s the perfect time to build play dough Spring flowers! Grab some play dough (our fabulous recipe is below) and loose parts for hours of open-ended, fine motor Spring fun.
Play dough Spring flowers are stunning
Come on, let’s build and play!
Flowers are one of the best parts of Spring, and this activity is as beautiful as it is educational.
I have done the math, and on a scale of 1-10, the beauty of this project lands at a solid 74584593248. There’s nothing not to love.
Plus, whether you’re on team homemade play dough or premade play dough, you’ll be ready to create in no time.
Related: Roll out a GIANT flower coloring banner, set out some coloring supplies, and enjoy this stunning Spring art project.
Layer in Science as you build play dough Spring flowers
Usually, when we build play dough flowers, we spend the first few days with little to no instruction and simply invite our preschool students to create with the materials.
Then, later in the week, we get a little more scientific and learn the parts of a flower:
- Petals
- Stem
- Leaves
- Seeds
- Roots
Watching how this elevates what the children learn, build, and create is a delight.
Materials
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- Play dough
- Loose parts – ex: cotton swabs, beads, pom poms, foam shapes, pipe cleaners, marbles, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, gems, etc.
🌸📚 Optional flower books that we love:
- Plants in Spring
- National Geographic Kids: Seed to Plant
- Mrs. Peanuckle’s Flower Alphabet
- The Tiny Seed
How to make play dough Spring flowers
Invite your child to use their play dough to build flowers.
Tip: Set out your favorite children’s flower books for your child to use as inspiration while they create.
At the end of each day, our preschool students take all of the loose parts out of the play dough and return them to the correct bowl.
Then, we have an activity all prepped and ready the next day for more learning and play.
Play dough tips and tricks
After having made and used play dough hundreds and hundreds of times, here are some of the best things I have learned:
- Homemade play dough is easier to make than you think and relatively inexpensive, too
- Store in an air-tight container, and it will last days and days (and likely weeks!)
- If making homemade play dough, use a stand mixer with a dough hook, and it will be the easiest bath of play dough of your life
- Gluten-free play dough exists if you have a child with gluten allergies (and this play dough is simply fantastic)
In the preschool classroom, we make a fresh batch of play dough each week, and we have the best time with it.
Check out some of our other favorite play dough invitations
Play dough is one of the most open-ended activities in the land.
With just one batch of play dough, you can vary the accessories that go with it and have an infinite amount of play invitations.
FAQ
Any that can safely use the materials.
I made it! Here’s my recipe: homemade play dough (with no cream of tartar!).
Not at all. Flowers grow all year long and this is a perfect activity to do during any month of the year.
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