Play dough poke
A simple fine motor workout - just grab some play dough and things to poke into it!
It doesn’t get much easier than this. Squish some play dough onto a tray and offer your child short items to poke into it -like cotton buds cut in half, cut-up straws, or even dry spaghetti. Not only is it a fun sensory activity, but it’s also great for strengthening hand and finger muscles.
You can turn it into an invitation to create too: “Can you make a hedgehog?” or “Let’s build a spiky monster!”
This kind of open-ended play builds creativity and coordination at the same time.
Materials
Prep
Step 1:
Roll out or flatten a blob of play dough onto a tray.
Step 2:
Cut or break poking items to short lengths and set them beside the dough.
Play
Step 1:
Let your child poke the items into the play dough however they like.
Step 2:
Invite storytelling or themed creations (e.g. animal spikes, monster fur, echidnas and porcupines).
Step 3:
Use descriptive language as they play if wanting to develop language skills - “That one’s really spiky!” or “You made a whole forest!”
Extend
Counting challenge: Ask them to count how many pokes or match a number.
Pattern play: Alternate colours or create spirals with their pokes.
Fine motor boost: Try threading beads onto the pokes already stuck in the dough, add tongs to pull them out, or a hammer to tap them in with.
