The Power of Play Doh

Engaging in sensory play can offer numerous advantages for mental well-being, such as:

• Promoting relaxation: Sensory play can have calming effects, helping individuals to focus on the present moment and tune out feelings of anxiety or sadness.

• Fostering self-soothing skills: Sensory play can assist individuals to identify their sensory needs and develop self-soothing routines which can increase feelings of control and self-efficacy

• Enhancing emotional regulation: Sensory play can enable individuals to become more aware of their emotions and develop a better understanding of their feelings in everyday situations.

• Building neural connections: Sensory play can aid individuals in establishing neural connections that support learning, creativity, and cognitive processes.

  
  

Play Doh is a oldie but goodie when it comes to sensory play.

Playdoh is utilized as a tool in play therapy to allow individuals of all ages, including children, teenagers, and adults, to:

• Express aggression: it is acceptable to tear, punch, or squish it.

• Experience a sense of control and empowerment: they have the ability to determine outcomes and creations.

• Test their tolerance for frustration: accepting that things may not always go as planned and learning to cope with frustration and disappointment is a recurring lesson.

• Be present in the moment: engaging with playdoh can help shift focus away from overthinking.

One of my favorite Play Doh Recipes is Kool-Aid Play Doh. It smells wonderful, is technically edible, although it is flour and salt so it tastes horrible. Some of the children I work with can't resist trying it, and I don't mind letting them experiment. It lasts a while and I usually halve the recipe so I don't make too much. I also stick to primary colors to mix them and create secondary colors.

Kool-Aid Play Doh Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups of flour

• 1/2 cup of salt

• 2 packs of Kool-Aid

• 2 cups of boiling water

• 3 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil

Directions

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients together

2. Put oil in boiling water

3. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients

I usually add more flour to get it to the consistency that feels right for me. I sometimes use food coloring to get the colors more vibrant (especially with yellow). If you halve the recipe make sure to still include 2 packets of Kool-Aid for a vibrant color.