Best No Cook Play-Doh a Multi-Sensory Learning Experience

by Jenny Irvine // March 26, 2016 // 2 Comments

After years of buying store bought play-doh, and many play-doh recipe failures. I think we have officially stumbled across the best no cook play-doh recipe ever. We use play-doh both during read loud time and for busy bin free play.

I have found when children are able to keep their hands busy during read aloud time they are more likely to pay attention with their ears and less likely to want to speak over me; thus, making our time together much more enjoyable and productive.

While play-doh can be messy at times – it is still my preferred messy, fun activity {especially over glitter glue..} Play-doh is great for fine motor development. The malleable properties make it an excellent choice for building hand strength and pre-writing development. It can be squashed, rolled, chopped, poked, and shredded allowing for hours of endless imaginary play.

Check out just some of the creations our kids created in our time together this week. Everything from play-doh pizza’s, ‘sugar’ cookies, to snakes, snails, and turtles –

Want to make their open ended play-doh play time even more exciting? With a few simple supplies you can create an expansive play-doh tool box at a minimal cost. Here are some of the play-doh tools in our box;

small toys {dinosaurs, fish, farm animals}
straws
rolling pins
egg cartons
sea shells
buttons
plastic letters and numbers
popsicle sticks
plastic spoons, forks, and knives {you can omit this of coarse…our kids are a bit older now so I am comfortable with their ability to use them safely}
plates/bowls

Each of our children are typically given a tray with their selected dough color {they are encouraged to share}. I then, place a ‘tool box’ of supplies in the middle of the table for community use. They play and I read to them. When you add open ended play items to their dough experience the imaginations explode. {Encouraging them to create things they hear in the story is also another great way to ‘test’ their listening and comprehension.}

Want a multi-sensory experience? Flavor up your dough by adding any of these –

pumpkin spice
cinnamon
essential oils
ginger
oregano

Make it pink, blue, and yellow too…we use plain old food dye but, you can try any of these too I’m sure with an equally good result…

Add some texture –

rice
sand
glitter
tiny pasta
sequins
pebbles

Want to try the recipe we use?

Best Ever Play-Doh Recipe

Be sure to visit our Kids in the Kitchen page for ‘live’ demonstrations, kid friendly recipes, more mess, and lots of fun. Never miss a thing from My Happy Homestead sign up to get “The Homestead Daily” Free to your in box.

Train Up A Child – 5 Reasons Kids Should Help With Family Chores

by Jenny Irvine // December 6, 2011 // No Comments

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

5 Reasons Kids Should Help With Family Chores

they gain a great deal of confidence and sense of accomplishment
they feel “a part” of something
it helps prepare them for their future
they will have a greater respect for the “things” and people in their lives
it helps reduce your work load – less time spent doing chores means more time to spend with those who matter most – our family!

Check it out – Pumpkin just folded two loads of laundry..(you rock baby girl)!

Among the many things we teach our children…keeping “house” is one of my favorites. It may not be done the way I would have done it but it gets done!

Kids love to help- when we let them.

They learn the importance of teamwork, respect of ones belongings, and simultaneously learn time management.

Yes, all while cleaning!

K.Bear enjoys most anything to do with water (washing windows, starting the laundry, dishes, and floors) all of which require supervision. That is unless huge piles of water does not stress you out?!

Although, she has found a love for the vacuum. Unfortunately, she is so tiny and it is so big the front of the vacuum does not lay flat on the floor to ‘suck‘ up the dust bunnies; the effort is there though.

My little man works like the best of them too!! A dusting/swiffering machine. He’s fast, he’s cute, he’s tiny….he is all smiles when helping mommy and doing chores like the big kids!

Random Tot School/Preschool

by Jenny Irvine // December 5, 2011 // No Comments

Amazing, December is here….and the Christmas hustle and bustle is well under way in our home! It is funny how once the craziness began I stopped blogging (again). I admire the people that blog daily because I surely don’t know how they do it! Someday?! The blogging may have halted for a bit but the fun and pictures surely have not. Mr. Smiles is blowing me away with his skills and abilities (3rd baby?) he plays pretend with his sisters, paints, colors, FINALLY sleeps through the night (18 months), enjoys play doh, and loves doing school with his Momma!

K.Bear is learning to write/trace, her ABC’s, #’s, size, shapes, and colors. Her interest in workbooks and handwriting is quite impressive for a 3 year old (especially one whom can’t usually sit still for more than 5 seconds). It is a joy to work with her and watch her grow each day by leaps and bounds.

We are still working on eliminating the “paci” but I know the time will come. The truth is, I think it bothers others more than it bugs us 🙂 yes, she’s “3” but she was nearly potty trained at “1” stubborn = “ABSOLUTELY!” All will be done on her own time….I/we are still leaning that is just the way she rolls!! In the mean time practicing daily “patience” in dealing with the “struggles” of having such a very extreme (spirited) child can be draining. I rest assured knowing it is her way or the highway and no one will ever sway her mind differently.

K.Bear’s other new love is “ABA” patterns!! (take note of the paci…haha)