Glittery Playdough Made with Sunscreen!

This glittery no cook playdough is perfect for summer play. It is made with a unique ingredient for a fun and fragrant hands on play session!

I have been making lots of homemade playdough for Harper. I love using different ingredients to create something I know she will love. 

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When Sea Star Sparkle sent me an assortment of sunscreens, I thought this would be a fun chance to try a unique glittery, fragrant sunscreen playdough. 

This recipe is easy and requires no cooking. It comes together in a matter of moments to create a fun way to have hand on play, with ingredients you may have at home.

I used Very Berry Scented sunscreen. I love that it is made with eco friendly glitter and the scent really adds something special to this playdough! It makes for a totally pleasant sensory experience between the soft dough, eye catching glitter and delicious fragrance!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of sea star sparkle eco friendly sunscreen

Water; several tablespoons

Neon Food Coloring

1- 1.5 cups of flour 

Directions:

Place 2 tablespoons of water and 1 cup of water in a medium mixing bowl.

Add a few drops of food coloring and 1/2 cup of sea star sparkle sunscreen to the flour.

Stir until well combined and the contents begin to clump.

At this point, you will decide if you need to add additional flour. If the mixture feels sticky, add an additional 1/4 cup of flour, and continue to stir.

When the flour has been incorporated, test for stickiness. 

Add additional flour if needed

When the playdough is not sticky, it is ready to play with!

Store in an airtight container when not in use.

When you are not playing with the dough, be sure to store it in an airtight container for up to a week.

You can find more hands on fun here.

Find all of my play doh ideas here

Play Doh Lollipop Counting

Give early math lessons a sweet spin with this play dough lollipop counting activity. It  combines counting, fine motor skills and a touch of creativity to provide lots of hands on educational fun.

Play doh is my go to tool for hands on learning fun. There are so many ways to use it to learn. This play doh lollipop counting activity is fantastic because it uses basic supplies like craft sticks and play doh to create a math lesson little kids will love!

Supplies:
Assorted colors of play doh
Craft Sticks
Numbers or dice


Directions:
Invite your child to form the lollipops with a small bit of play doh and the craft sticks.
Encourage your child to pick a number from the pile or roll a dice.
Whichever number they come up with, encourage them to roll out that many itty bitty tiny balls of play doh in a different color.
Decorate the lollipops with the small balls of doh.
Repeat with more numbers for a hands on math lesson that works in fine motor skill work too!

You can find all of my play doh ideas here
Reader favorites include:
Play Doh Pie Counting
Play Doh Pre-writing
Play Doh Stamping

Playdoh Meatball Math

Are you looking for a way to make early math engaging for kids? This play doh activity makes for a fun way to master early counting skills in a manner that kids are going to want an extra helping of.

We are a play doh family through and through. Over the years I have created so many hands on lessons for my kids as well as invitations to play that started with a simple can of squishy play doh.  From a prickly cactus craft that my tween was enchanted by, to  DIY food puzzles for toddlers. I have always felt that playdoh was one of the best toys to have on hand because it doubles as a learning tool.

This idea is so much fun! It starts with 2 cans of play doh and a cute little pan. Grab a few dominoes and your little learners are ready to jump into this awesome activity.

Supplies:

Play doh. I used yellow, a little red and a little orange.

A small pan

Dominoes

Directions:

Create a pan of noodles from the yellow playdoh by rolling out into thin strips between your hands and tear them off at various lengths.

Combine a ball of red and orange dough together to make the meatballs. 

Now tear off small sections and roll them into balls.

Place the noodles into the pan.

Leave the meatballs over to the side.

Invite your preschooler to select a domino from the pile and count the dots.

This is how many meatballs this spaghetti needs. Count the meatballs as you add them to the noodles.

Repeat as desired until you have used all of the dominoes or mastered your counting lesson. I know your kids are going to love this take on early math!

Find more epic playdoh activities here.

Favorites include:

Play Doh Pie Counting

Lollipop Counting

Play Doh Pre Writing Activity

Play Doh Snails

Play Dough Ornaments 

Find more fun math ideas like these math games for kids.

Play Doh Flower Counting Activity

Make counting and learning early math tons of fun for little ones with this hands on activity that combines early math with hands on tactile play. 

Play doh is the ultimate tool for play or learning at my house. We love to squish, mold and create with it, plus there are so many ways to learn with it. Adding it into our math lessons was a natural choice.

I was looking for a way to get Harper excited about early math, but it is hard to focus in the spring. There are so many colors, sights and smells to take in after months of indoor confinement.

As I took in the sights of spring, my inspiration was blooming all around me. 

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Supplies:

Play Doh; green and any 2 other colors

Buttons

Number Stamps

Directions:

With green play doh, form 2 flower stems

With any other color of play doh form the flower body

Tear off 10 pinches of play doh and shape it to look like petals.

Select two numbers.

Stamp them on the flowers.

Offer your child buttons and the petals of play doh you formed.

Encourage your child to say the number stamped on the doh.

Now, add the coordinating number of buttons to one flower.

Add the coordinating number of petals to the other flower.

Repeat with other numbers.

Find more play doh ideas here Reader favorites include:
Sunscreen Play Dough

Design Your Own Play Doh Ornaments

Kids of all ages are sure to love this Design Your Own Play Doh Ornaments project. It is perfect for holiday crafting and turns out so cute everyone will love to display these!

I am crazy for all things play doh, so naturally I had to make something for Christmas from my favorite craft material. These ornaments are so easy! They will have you saying, who knew you could not only draw on play doh but you can bake it too?!

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These easy ornaments give kids a chance to design their own addition to the Christmas tree! Made with basic supplies this is the perfect project to do with the kids for minimal mess this holiday. 

You can make your own white play doh, like in my super soft play dough recipe, just leave the food color out, or to make this activity really easy during a generally already packed holiday season, just buy cans of white play doh.

To make these design your own play doh ornaments you will need
Supplies
white play doh
washable markers
cookie cutters
bakers twine
A pen or stick to poke a hole with

Directions

Roll the play doh out to be about 1/8" thick.

With your cookie cutter of choice cut shapes of doh.

Poke a hole in each ornament so that it can be hung after completion. I used an ink pen to make my holes.

Use washable markers to draw on the designs.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Thread bakers twine through the hole and display on your tree.

Find all of my Christmas crafts here
Reader favorites include:
Button Tree Ornaments
Mickey Mouse Jingle Bell Ornaments

Play Dough Multiplication Activity

This play doh multiplication activity is perfect for an introduction to multiplying for eager little mathematicians.

Rolf has been working really hard on his multiplication in the 3rd grade. During the 1st quarter of the year, he was struggling with the concepts. We tried flash cards, which are not at all fun. We tried making tables, which was also a snore. Then it dawned on me, why not true School House Rock?

That did the trick and made it a little more fun for him. Harp was learning too, so we decided to make the process a hands on fun way to learn to multiply. We do use affiliate links in this post. If you have a purchase I will earn an advertising fee.

We started with ones and twos to keep it simple; while Harp was only 5 at the time of this activity (yes! I sat on these photos for almost a year!) I knew that forming these math facts in her mind was a great way to start her off on the right foot.

Supplies:

Play Doh in Brown and Green

Pony Beads 

Wooden Numbers

Directions:
Roll the brown play doh to resemble a tree trunk
Flatten out a can of green play doh for the leaves
Select two wooden numbers and press them into the top.
Use the edge of a number to make the x symbol
Offer your child a selection of pony beads.
Have them press the correct number of pony beads into the dough.
To explain the concept to my girl I told her to count out the first number of the problem in beads, then to do it again and press them in.

Find more play doh activities here

Reader favorites include:

Play Doh Pre-Writing

Design Your Own Play Doh Ornaments

Fun Crafts You Can Explore With Kids At Home

 Are you spending your day with your kids at home? If so, then you might want to explore and plan some activities that you can enjoy together. There are lots of options worth considering here so let’s look at a few to ensure that you have a great time with your little ones, even if you are stuck in doors. 

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Clothing Design 

First, you should think about designing clothing with your kids. This is a great way to get them to think creatively and ensure that they have something that they can use or enjoy. There’s no limit on the type of clothing that you can create if you have the right materials and equipment. For instance, you can use holographic vinyl to add wonderful designs to any item of clothing from t-shirt to jackets. If you’re not sure how to begin with this possibility, then you’ll find some great guides online.

Wood Work

Next, you should explore woodwork options. This is something that you can explore if you have older children as it might be too tricky for younger kids. You might think that this is going to mean investing in a lot of equipment and items but it doesn’t have to. You just need to get some wood to work with. You could also think about exploring upcycling ideas. This will allow you to create items from old pieces of wooden furniture and accessories that you probably have lying around the home. Again, there are some great YouTube guides for woodworking with kids at home. 

Painting 

You might also want to think about painting with your kids. This could be an activity such as repainting a room or you might want to let them get creative with arts. If you are interested in letting your kids stretch their artistic muscle, then you should make sure that you get a blank piece of paper or a blank sheet from a home depot store. You can spread this out over the floor and just let them go a little wild. You might want to explore possibilities such as finger and hand painting as long as you don’t mind cleaning them up afterwards. 

Homemade Playdough 

Finally, kids love playdough. It allows them to get creative and design anything that they can imagine. Whether that’s pretending to make food in a restaurant or styling an egg. You can buy playdough, but why not think about creating your own instead? This in itself can be a fun activity to explore with your kids. All you need to create your own playdough is flour and salt as well as a little time. You can also use food colouring to create play dough in a wide variety of different colours. It’s a little messy but a fantastic option for time with the kids. 

We hope this helps you see that there are some great ways that you can spend time with your kids when you are stuck at home. Whether you want to get messy or just chill, we’re sure you’ll have a great time.

Finally, foster care kids love playdough. It allows them to get creative and design anything that they can imagine. Whether that’s pretending to make food in a restaurant or styling an egg. You can buy playdough, but why not think about creating your own instead? This in itself can be a fun activity to explore with your kids. All you need to create your own playdough is flour and salt as well as a little time. You can also use food colouring to create play dough in a wide variety of different colours. It’s a little messy but a fantastic option for time with the kids. 

Savory Monkey Bread Recipes

Monkey Business: The Rise of Savory Monkey Bread

Move over, cinnamon sugar, there's a new star in town! Savory monkey bread is taking the appetizer world by storm, and for good reason. This playful pull-apart bread offers endless possibilities for flavor combinations, making it the perfect finger food for any occasion.

Beyond the Bunch:

We all know and love the classic sweet monkey bread. But the beauty of this dish lies in its versatility. Swap the sugary coating for a savory herb butter or a cheesy dip, and you've got an instant crowd-pleaser.

A Recipe for Fun:

The best part about savory monkey bread is its ease. It's a recipe that allows you to get creative. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Play with Dough: Use store-bought pizza dough, biscuit dough, or even leftover bread dough to create unique textures.
• Flavor Frenzy: Explore a world of herbs, spices, and cheeses. From garlic and parmesan to sun-dried tomatoes and feta, the flavor combinations are endless.
• The Dipping Point: Don't forget the dip! Pesto, marinara, or a simple herb butter add another layer of flavor and moisture.

Here are some of my favorite monkey bread recipes from around the web. Be sure to click through the links to view the full recipe.

Spicy Cheddar Pull Apart Bread by Small Town Woman

Garlic and Herb Pull Apart Loaf by CincyShopper

Garlic Monkey Bread by My Crazy Good Life

Cheese and Herb Monkey Bread by Curry Trail

Pizza Bubble Bread by Spend with Pennies

Maple Bacon Monkey Bread by Love Bakes Good Cakes

Jalapeno Cheddar Monkey Bread by We Dish It Up

Pizza Monkey Bread by Simply Stacie

Monkey See, Monkey Do:

Savory monkey bread is perfect for:

• Game Days: A crowd-pleasing appetizer that goes perfectly with all your favorite game day eats.
• Brunches: Take your brunch game to the next level with a savory twist on a classic breakfast food.
• Potlucks: This easy-to-transport dish is sure to be a hit at any potluck gathering.

So ditch the ordinary and embrace the monkey business! With a little creativity, you can turn this playful pull-apart bread into a savory masterpiece that will have everyone asking for seconds.

Let's Get Baking!

Now that your taste buds are tingling, it's time to get your hands dirty! Dive into our collection of savory monkey bread recipes and discover a world of flavor possibilities. From cheesy classics to herb-infused delights, we have something for everyone. Happy baking!

Find more favorite recipes here:

Baked jalapeno poppers

Beef and pickle egg rolls

Button Sorting Sensory Bag

Toddlers need sorting skills for a variety of reasons. Sorting helps them learn about the world around them, develop their fine motor skills, and improve their problem-solving skills.

Learning about the world around them

When toddlers sort objects, they are learning about the different characteristics of those objects. They are learning about colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. They are also learning about the relationships between objects. For example, they may learn that all of the blue objects go together, or that all of the small objects fit in the small container.

Developing fine motor skills

Sorting requires toddlers to use their fine motor skills. They need to be able to pick up small objects, hold them in their hands, and move them around. This helps to strengthen their muscles and improve their coordination.

Improving problem-solving skills

Sorting also helps toddlers to develop their problem-solving skills. When they are faced with a problem, such as how to sort a group of objects, they need to use their logic and reasoning skills to come up with a solution. This helps them to learn how to think critically and solve problems on their own.

If you would like to make a DIY sorting activity for your little learners, you might love this easy buttons sorting bag. You might have everything you need at home to make this easy and engaging activity.

Supplies:

A zipper seal baggie

Clear hair gel

Buttons

Markers

First, figure out what colors of buttons you have to work with. You will want to use coordinating markers to make this work.

Start by drawing a large circle with one color of marker.

Then repeat using all of your marker colors.

When you have used all of the colors of markers, add about 2 tablespoons of hair gel into the baggie. You don't need a lot; just a little to make the activity extra fun! Little hands will love the way the buttons glide thru the hair gel. Spread the gel out with your hands.

Add the buttons to the bag.

Seal the bag. You can secure the seal with duct tape if you like.

Encourage your toddler to sort the buttons by color, and maneuver the buttons into the circle.

This activity is so simple but so awesome for hands on learning because it combines sorting skills with fine motor work.

Fine motor skills are the small, precise movements of the hands and fingers. They are important for a variety of tasks, such as eating, writing, and playing musical instruments. Fine motor skills also play a role in cognitive development, as they require children to use their brains to coordinate their movements.

Here are some of the reasons why kids need fine motor skills:

• To perform everyday tasks: Fine motor skills are essential for performing everyday tasks, such as eating, dressing, and using the bathroom. Children who have difficulty with fine motor skills may struggle with these tasks, which can lead to frustration and delays in development.
• To learn: Fine motor skills are also important for learning. Children who have good fine motor skills are better able to hold a pencil, write neatly, and turn pages in a book. This can help them to learn more effectively in school.
• To participate in activities: Fine motor skills are also important for participating in activities, such as playing sports, playing musical instruments, and doing arts and crafts. Children who have good fine motor skills are better able to participate in these activities, which can help them to develop their social skills and have fun.

There are many things that parents can do to help their children develop fine motor skills. Here are a few tips:

• Provide opportunities for practice: One of the best ways to help children develop fine motor skills is to provide them with opportunities to practice. This could include giving them toys that require them to use their hands, such as blocks, puzzles, or play-dough.
• Encourage exploration: Children learn best by exploring. Encourage your child to explore their environment and use their hands to interact with objects. This could include letting them help you cook, garden, or clean.
• Be patient: It takes time for children to develop fine motor skills. Don't get discouraged if your child doesn't master a skill right away. Just keep providing them with opportunities to practice and they will eventually get there.

Fine motor skills are an important part of child development. By providing children with opportunities to practice and develop these skills, you can help them to succeed in school and in life.

Find more fine motor ideas here

Dino Rescue

Sensory Ball Fine Motor Activity

Button Stacking

Pie Crust Cookies

If you need a treat in a flash that is low in sugar but packed with buttery flavor, this pie crust cookie recipe is one that you will want to check out!

When I was a kid, sometimes my grandma would bake a pie. That was always nice, but the true treat was her pie crust. After she trimmed her crust to fit her pie plate, she would sprinkle to excess with cinnamon and sugar and bake it up. She called it cracklins and let me tell you, this is the flavor that I reminisce on as an adult.

The only bad part about cracklins was how few and far between they were! 

A few months ago, my kids were begging for treats, so I stood in my kitchen surveying the options. We were low on baking supplies, but my mind wandered back to this simple treat for childhood. I decided I would just make a pie crust and make something fantastic.

While at first, my family was skeptical that pie crust cookies could actually be good, now they beg me to make these at least once a month! The recipe is similar to a shortbread, it is so easy to make that anyone could make these!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 cup of chilled butter

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of ice water

1/4 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball.

Roll dough out until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick

Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar and slice into chunks, strips, wedges, whatever!

 Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Hungry for more?
Check out this recipe for the kids:
Super soft play dough

Freaky Halloween Foods

 Halloween is such a fun time of year. We certainly love to go all out with decorations, epic costumes for the kids, and of course, the best treats! This year why not bring the festivities to the dinner table with these Freaky Halloween Foods? These ideas are sure to delight your family and maybe even creep them out a little.

I have so many fun Halloween ideas on site. While you are here, you might want to check out these homemade play dough ghost ornaments.

This collection of freaky foods has some really fun ideas in it! From puking pumpkin taco boards to scary spaghetti and pumpkin stuffed peppers. I am sure you are going to find something you want to make for your family! Be sure to click through the links below to check out the full recipe.

Puking Pumpkin Taco Board by Maple and Mango

Meatball Mummies by Spend with Pennies

Deviled Spider Eggs by Living Sweet Moments

Scary Spaghetti by By Andrea Jannsen

Jack O Lantern Stuffed Peppers by Hip Homeschool Moms

Black Bean Pasta by Vegan Dollhouse

Trick or Treat Cheese Ball by Centsless Meals

Spooky Gnocchi by Wild Vegan Flower

Pumpkin Stuffed Peppers by Sula and Spice

Spooky Spaghetti by Summer Yule

Pretzel Mummy Snacks are a great freaky Halloween food for later in the evening, maybe as a movie snack.