The Ultimate DIY Play Dough Kit for Toddlers and Beyond

It is no secret we love play dough and every other kind of sensory dough there is. However, everyone seems to always have the same complaint… it’s messy or hard to set up and clean up. Enter our play dough kits. Since we are busy, busy, busy… the only way to have play dough in our lives is to make kits that the kids (especially the toddler) can just pull out and work with and clean up on their own. This ultimate DIY play dough kit for toddlers is perfect for learning, playing, and investigating.

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Although, I have titled this post for toddlers, it is definitely something that can used at any age or level. If you have children that still mouth items you might want to be a little more cautious with what you include, but play dough kits are perfect for everyone from toddler up to adults… I know I love them almost as much as my kids do.

DIY Play Dough Kit for Toddlers and Beyond

What you need for your Play Dough Kit for Toddlers?

Aside from the container and the play dough, we got every item on this list from our dollar store. I was on a mission to make sure it was affordable and doable if I was going to make them for you and to give as gifts.

Container with multiple levels or compartments (we love ours we got from Target, but you can get it here as well)
Play dough (we love our homemade play dough… this batch is going on 2 months now with no refrigeration and took about 2 minutes to make)
Magnetic Letters
Toothpicks or Skewers
Buttons of Different Sizes
Cookie cutters
Small cups or bowls
Garlic press
Ice Cream Scoop
Lemon Juicer
Small kitchen utensils (from the toy section)

Now, this is just a suggestion and a list. Please… be creative! Add what you think your child will love the most!

How to Make Your DIY Play Dough Kit for Toddlers and Beyond

The kit is pretty self explanatory. Using the materials you have gathered, place each tool and material in special compartments. We did three special layers in our kit, but depending on your container you might have to mix it up a tad.

Layer One:
6 Balls of Play Dough

Layer Two:
Small manipulatives, such as:

Magnetic Letters
Toothpicks or Skewers
Buttons of Different Sizes
Cookie cutters
Small cups or bowls

Layer Three:
Large tools, such as:

Garlic press
Ice Cream Scoop
Lemon Juicer
Small kitchen utensils (from the toy section)

Ideas for Learning with a Play Dough Kit for Toddlers

Fine Motor Play Dough Activities | Making shapes with cookie cutters, cutting play dough with small scissors or play knives, rolling play dough between the fingers, pinching off pieces of dough to fill the cups, using toothpicks to make designs and shapes in the play dough… these are just a few ideas to get you started.

Early Literacy Activities | Use the letters to stamp the play dough, match upper and lower case letters, make names with letters in the play dough, trace the letters with your fingers, cover the letters with play dough, roll the play dough and match the lines of the letters… the list goes on.

Playing with Buttons | Wow… this list could be just as long. You can work on premath skills, counting, patterning, shapes, colors, stamping, tracing… so many. We loved making silly faces and talking about the emotions we saw in the faces we made. What would you do with an ultimate play dough kit?

Learning with Play Dough Tools Series

Do your kids love learning with play dough tools? If so, they will love all of the play dough tool resources they will find with my fellow friends. With over 16 play dough learning activities you can’t go wrong, there is something for all ages.