Playdough might just be the most underrated tool in your program. It’s affordable, endlessly adaptable, and the learning that happens while little hands are squishing, rolling, and building is anything but child’s play. Whether you’re looking for a quiet activity, a STEM challenge, a process art experience, or just a way to keep everyone happily engaged, playdough delivers every time. Here are 10 of our favorite ways to use it.
Best Basic Playdough
Our go-to recipe for making large batches quickly — soft, long-lasting, and completely customizable for any activity on this list.
Playdough Ramps
Roll, race, and repeat — this simple game uses playdough in a whole new way and works beautifully across ages.
Sprinkle Playdough
Mix in real or pretend sprinkles and open up an ice cream shop — this one sparks imaginative play every single time.
See it in the app →
Playdough Maze
Twist, turn, and problem-solve — children design their own mazes and then navigate them, making every creation a new challenge.
Design a Coral Reef
A gorgeous process art activity that invites children to sculpt and build their own underwater world with no two reefs ever looking the same.
Snake Patterns
A naturally familiar shape becomes a sneaky, playful way to explore letter recognition and early literacy — without anyone realizing that’s what’s happening.
Car Sensory Box
The perfect go-to for quiet time or moments when a little self-regulation support is needed — calming, focused, and endlessly satisfying.
Playdough Monsters
Creepy, funny, wild, or wonderful — with a few extra loose parts, children bring their own unique monsters to life.
Tube Tracks
A classic STEM activity gets a playdough twist, turning tubes into tracks and rolling into real engineering thinking.
Gingerbread Man Chasing Game
Read the story, then bring it to life — mix cacao powder into our classic playdough recipe to make “gingerbread dough” and let the characters run wild.
Find these ten activities in the Rayz Kidz app with over 500 more hands-on, play-based activities.
