Young children love to play with dough. And no wonder! They can squish and pound it and form it into fascinating shapes. Here's a recipe to make at home.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

2 cups flour
1 cup salt - this preserves it
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Safe Food coloring
Food extracts (almond, vanilla, lemon, or peppermint)
1 medium saucepan
Things to stick in the dough (popsicle sticks, straws )
Things to pound with (like a toy mallet)
Things to make impressions with (jar lids, cookie cutters, or bottle caps)

PARENT STEP
Add the food coloring to the water. Then mix all of the ingredients together in a pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it forms a soft ball. Let the mixture cool. Knead slightly. Add natural food extracts to different chunks of the dough if you want different smells - Make sure the child doesn't eat it - the salt should see to that, but you never know!!!

CHILD STEP!!
Pound it, stick things in it, make impressions in it, and create all kinds of shapes and things.

If older children make a good design, you can bake the dough until hard and they can paint and varnish it.

Play dough is a great way to develop hand muscles and be creative.

Cooking together, with all the measuring, is the perfect way to begin learning mathematics. "Let's divide the dough into two parts."

Letting your child handle some dough while it is still slightly warm and some when it has cooled off is a terrific way to teach about temperatures.

Play dough can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight bag or container.

This is taken from our education section where you will find more activities to do with the development requirements of your child.
http://www.beaney.com/education/

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