Have you ever thought of Play-Doh as a teaching tool?  I have mentioned before that I let my kids play with Play-Doh while we have read aloud time to help keep them focused.  But here are some things you can do to actually teach with Play-Doh.

Writing/Spelling -  Have your children write out letters using Play-Doh.  They can roll the dough into snakes and then form their letters.  This is a great way to learn your letters and later to practice your spelling words. 

Math -  Using the same method as mentioned above let them design a few of their math problems.  This is a hands on way to work out problems.  You can also make the Play-Doh into balls and use them as manipulatives.  Give them a problem such as 5 + 2 =   and have them build it out using Play-Doh.  Then they can count up all the balls and find the answer.  What about fractions?  Have them press out a circle and experiment with cutting it into fractions.

Color Mixing - What could be a better way of learning how to combine colors  than to experiment with Play-Doh?  Give your kids only the primary colors plus white and black and see how many colors they can create!

Games -  Use Play-Doh to make  Tic-Tac-Toe boards!  Roll out 4 strips to make the grid and then use 1 color for each player to use as x's and o's.  Challenge your kids to come up with a new game using Play-Doh. 

I keep a small bag of the Play-Doh mini containers in my purse along with a few small cookie cutters.  This is wonderful when we find ourselves waiting at a restaurant or spending time at a place with no toys.  You will be amazed at what the kids come up with when left to explore the possibilites of  Play-Doh.

These are all ideas I have done with my kids.  The people over at Play-Doh have a lot of other great ideas too.  They even have an idea for teaching proper dental hygiene!  Click here to check them out!

Jamin  is the homeschooling Mom of 3 great kids, ages 2, 5 and 11.   She loves homeschooling and finding creative things to do with her kids. She and her husband have been married 17 years.  She is also a Usborne Book Consultant.  You can visit her store at http://www.usborne2u.com