Playdough Snowmen
and Reindeer
By: Ailsa Gordon
Playdough has many benefits for younger children and it can be used to cover many areas of the curriculum.
This activity has a holistic approach to learning as children will have the opportunity to develop their skills
and abilities in Mathematics, Understanding of the World, PSED, Communication and Language, Literacy,
Expressive Arts and Design and Physical Development.
By involving the children from the very beginning in making the playdough with you, they will have a better
understanding of how it was created.
You can add different scents and colours to the playdough. To make it festive, try adding cinnamon or
peppermint essence.
Ensure you have a selection of small parts for children to manipulate and use to create the features of
snowmen and reindeer, such as googeley eyes, pipe cleaners, twigs, buttons, sequins, glitter, beads, pasta
shapes, ribbon, pompoms and string.
No cook playdough recipe
2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Up to 1.5 cups warm water (add in increments until it feels just right)
food colouring, scents such as cinnamon, peppermint or orange essence
few drops of glycerine (optional- adds more shine!)
Method
Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a large mixing bowl
Add food colouring to the water then into the dry ingredients
Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough
Add the glycerine (optional)
Allow it to cool down then take it out of the bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes
until all of the stickiness has gone. (If it remains a little sticky then add a touch more flour until just
right.)