Butterfly-Themed Playdough With Flower Petals

This butterfly-themed playdough with flower petals activity is fun, calming and sensory-rich. Perfect for Spring!

I kept it really simple with this tray, using white play dough and two butterfly cookie cutters. The flower petals gave it a burst of color and texture and made it even more fun to manipulate. Plus it smelled lovely.

A loved pressing the flower petals into the play dough first and then making the butterfly shapes.

Homemade Playdough

To make homemade playdough, we use a very popular recipe.

You will need:

• 1 cup flour

• 1/2 cup table salt 

• 1 tbsp cream of tartar 

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 cup boiling water

In a bowl combine the flour, salt and cream of tartar. Mix well and add the oil. If you’re using food coloring, mix a few drops into the boiling water and add to the bowl. Mix well until it is no longer sticky.

To store, let the play dough cool completely then wrap it tightly in plastic and store in an airtight container. 

If your little ones are going to participate in making this recipe, be sure to keep them away from the boiling water to avoid burning.

Playing with playdough is a great pre-writing activity. Squishing, rolling, pressing, molding and all other play dough movements help strengthen hand and finger muscles and improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It also allows the child to use their imagination and creativity, while fostering language development as the child is exposed to the different elements on the tray.

Cleaning up is part of the learning process, so make sure to encourage your child to tidy up after they finish playing. Model how to do it until your child feels confident enough to initiate the tidying up process independently.