Improving fine motor skills with play dough

Playing with play dough is a fun and easy way to improve finger and hand strength, manipulation, use of two hands together and hand-eye coordination while stimulating the touch and smell senses.

Sensory-seeking children will especially love adding glitter, smells and beads to their projects. For more resistance, use clay or putty.

Skills by Age

2 Years: 

• Roll a snake and have your child snip the play doh with scissors
• Roll, pound, squeeze, and pull doh
• Hide beads or toys inside the play dough and have your child find them
• Create a hedgehog by rolling a ball and have your child stick toothpicks or dry spaghetti noodles into it
• Press down on cookie cutters (with help)

3 Years:

• Roll balls on table in a circular motion
• Pinch and squeeze the play doh to make a snake
• Cut shapes with cookie cutters and use fingers to press them out
• Cut with dough scissors
• Hide beads or toys inside the play dough and have your child find them

4 Years:

• Roll small balls between thumb and forefinger and then smush the balls
• Roll, squeeze and shape dough to make shapes, letters, and objects
• Hide beads or toys inside the play dough and have your child find them
• Draw a scene for your Play doh creation
• Write letters with fingers
• Cut small pieces

5 Years:

• Use multiple pieces (balls, snakes, etc) to form larger objects.
• Roll out letters with dough and practice spelling the child’s name
• Write letters in the play dough with a pencil
• Roll small balls between thumb and forefinger and then smush the balls