Natural Herbal Play Dough Recipe
For the Kiddo’s, natural living, recipesAdd commentsOct 152015
I love trying new things. I even have a hard time making the same recipe twice! However, I am in love with this Natural Herbal Play Dough recipe, and so are the little hands pictured above!
Sensory play is so beneficial for little growing minds. According to PBS Parents, “Children (and adults) learn the best and retain the most information when they engage their senses.” Isn’t it so true that some of our favorite memories are quickly brought back to our minds just from a certain scent, like the smell campfire on a summer night. Sensory experiences, such as playing with play dough, and especially herb infused play dough, will aid in this development.
Meg Hyke from Home Schooling Mama writes this…
Here are 5 reasons why sensory play is beneficial:
Research shows that sensory play builds nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, which lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks.
Sensory play supports language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interaction.
This type of play aids in developing and enhancing memory
Sensory play is great for calming an anxious or frustrated child
This helps children learn sensory attributes (hot, cold, stick, dry)
The Benefits Specifically for Natural Herbal Play Dough
Anna, from The Imagination Tree states these learning links:
sensory: exploring and investigating materials/ textures using all the senses
maths: investigating capacity / weighing/ measuring/ counting (during the cooking process)
motor skills: fine motor development through: pinching/ squeezing/ pushing/ pincer grip/ poking/ squishing/ rolling/ rolling/ digging
creativity: making dough represent other objects/ sculptures/ role-play/ imaginative play
literacy: role-play language/ new vocabulary eg. herb names
phase: working independently/ sustained involvement at play
Natural Herbal Play Dough Recipe
2 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Up to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
Fresh Herbs of choice (Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Mint, or anything soothing)
all natural food coloring (optional)Mix dry ingredients first, while water is heating.
This rosemary plant grows year round in California. I absolutely LOVE having an herb garden. Herbs are the easiest thing to grow and do no take much tending to!
Slowly add hot water, and herbs. The heat will help infuse the dough with the herb.
My kids LOVE helping me in the kitchen. It one of my favorite ways to bond with my sons. I walked out to get more Rosemary and I came back to them pushing more rosemary into the dough.
Natural Herbal Play Dough Manipulative’s… Make it more fun!
Cookie Cutters
Straws
Pasta shapes
Buttons
Shells
toy creatures
rolling pins, plastic knives, scissors, plastic pizza cutters
cupcake cases in different sizes
colored and natural feathers
pine cones, sticks, bark, leaves
muffin tins, egg cartons, chocolate boxes,
small cups and shot glasses
alphabet letters
shells
buttons
glass pebbles
toy vehicles
wooden letters and numbers
fabric, netting and ribbons
lolly sticks
I hope your kids enjoy this All Natural Herbal Play Dough Recipe as much we are!
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Posted by Love Life Naturally at 2:00 pmTagged with: all natural play dough, herbal play dough, natural kids, play dough, play dough recipe, sensory play
