21 Fun Play Dough Activities For Toddlers & Beyond!

When is play dough not a good idea for little ones?!

For one item, it’s completely surprising how many different play and activity ideas you can come up with.

So, if you’re looking for some fresh and exciting ideas to mix up the activities for toddlers and beyond, get ready to add over 20+ more ideas to your repertoire!

21 Fun Play Dough Activities For Toddlers & Beyond!

1.Let’s Go To The Beach

Bring the beach home with this fun play dough setup.

You’ll need a tuff tray or a large plastic bowl for this idea. Using brown or yellow play dough on one side and blue on the other, mould it to create a sand meets ocean look.

Add a handful of plenty of shells so little ones can play, stamp and mould the play dough to their hearts content!

2. Building Towers

How big can your little one build a tower? Using a tuff tray as a base is a great foundation for this game.

Encourage construction play, letting them use play dough as their ‘cement’ to build their towers.

3. Dogs Open Ended Play

Switch this one up for whatever your little one’s favorite animal is. Get them to create a base for their plastic figures to stand on, adding a series of sticks or any other accessories you have to hand.

This is pretty much an open ended play idea which is great for encouraging role play.

4. Can You Make A Hedgehog?

Have a little one that love hedgehogs and wildlife? Give them the task of creating their very own!

Using a plush as their example, have a large ball of brown play dough setup with a bowl of googly eyes and wooden sticks to bring it to life.

5. Play Dough Stamping

This activity is not only plenty of fun, but it’s perfect for younger ones to engage with too. It aids hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills.

Get them to roll out some play dough, or for the really little ones you could get this part ready for them. Have a series of natural objects for them to roll and stamp into the play dough. Some great pieces you could use for this are pine cones, wooden sticks and even just using fingers!

6. Homemade Cactus

I’m such a fan of this play dough idea! If you’re a household that love the spiky things, this is a fun activity that everyone can get involved with.

You’ll need the following to create your own play dough inspired cacti;

Green play dough, or color your own
Plant pot
Wooden match sticks
Pebbles

7. Did Someone Say Cupcakes?

Cupcakes are always a good idea and little ones will adore serving these up, decorating and adding candles. A perfect play activity during birthday season in your house.

Silicone cake cases are ideal for this activity, use brown play dough and have some candles and decorations they can use such as beads and sequins.

8. Can You Decorate The Autumn Tree?

This autumn based activity is perfect for fall and beyond. Draw a tree outline on a piece of card and get them to decorate the tree using play dough and stamps to create leaf shapes.

Use a range of colored play dough for a colorful feel.

9. Nature Play

If it’s a nice weather day, get outside in the garden or go for a walk for this activity. Use a bark base and roll out some green play dough.

Get your little one to engage with different objects such as daisies, flowers, twigs and leaves.

10. Seashore Play

Beach side play is always fun, and an activity that is great to reach for during the holidays.

Setup a tuff tray and add some sandy colored dough along with plenty of beach themed items to play with such as shelves, stamps and you could even include some real sand here for a more sensory element to the activity.

11. Learning About Trees

Encourage educational play with this tree based activity. Get them to create a tree with playdough and support this with tree based learning cards.

12. Ladybug Life Learning

Adults can set this play dough activity up for little ones showing the life cycle of a ladybug. It’s educational and super fun for them to see each stage in their life.

Get them to engage afterwards by having a go at creating their own takes on the life cycle.

13. Fairy Play Is The Best Play!

A whimsical activity that will be loved by little boys and girls!

Use cardboard and draw an outline of a fairy on it, get them to mould play dough to the body of the fairy, collect some flower petals so they can use these for the hair of the fairy.

14. Play Dough Cupcakes

Another cupcake inspired play activity that is ideal for birthday season! Use a cupcake baking tray and fill with different decor accessories such as pom poms, beads and sequins – these can be used for decorating their cupcakes.

Draw cupcake cases and get your little one to add play dough for the ‘icing’ and decorate to their hearts content.

15. The Hungry Caterpillar

An enduringly popular nursery book, this play dough caterpillar is a lot of fun!

You’ll need green and red play dough for this, a rolling pin, googly eyes, pipe cleaners for the legs and a cutter to cut out the circular shapes for the body.

16. Pie Making

It’s pie season! If your little one loves to watch you cook, set them up with their own play dough pie, getting them to decorate and crimp as they please.

17. Ice Cream Scoops!

Who doesn’t love a scoop! Combine this play dough activity with mathematics, getting them to add the exact amount of scoops to match the number on each piece of card.