Sensory Station: Playdough and Rubber Stamps

This year Mother Goose Time started Investigation Stations. Many of them use playdough for a sensory experience. I love how these investigation stations challenge the kids to look at the world in new ways.

They all challenge the senses making them perfect for the child in need of sensory stimulation to get through the day. This simple Sensory Station made with Playdough and Rubber Stamps Mother Goose Time is sending this year was great for the kids.

Build a Playdough and Rubber Stamps Sensory Station

You will need a flat surface. We opted for Our Dry-erase Board right on the bed so we could all hang out snuggly and warm It is getting cold so early this year hanging out in one room on chilly days means we don’t need the heat quite yet just some snuggly blankets and something fun to do.

Rubber stamps. We have the really cute family set from the September Mother Goose Time box and the first two of the Monthly Shape stamps.

Playdough. We used Homemade Peppermint Playdough for a sensory boost.

The kids really love playing with scented playdough. The stamps were a fun switch over from the usual cookie cutters. They learned how the amount of pressure used changes the image. The harder you push down the more of the stamp will imprint including the edges. I challenged them to roll out the playdough and create pictures with the stamps.

Like using the stamps on paper this is a great motor activity as well. We also discovered that playdough does a great job of removing old dry ink from the stamps. A pretty cool advantage for play time for the busy mom. A downside, we found is that the playdough gets stuck in small crevices of the stamps.

Try Gingerbread Cookie Playdough or Pumpkin Pie Playdough for more scented sensory fun.

Other ways to make the most of playdough

Playdough is a versatile and entertaining material that can be used for a wide range of activities. Here are some fun and creative things you can do with playdough:

Sculpting: Use playdough to create sculptures of animals, people, objects, or imaginative creatures. This can be a great way to develop fine motor skills and creativity.

Playdough Puzzles: Create shapes or objects and then cut them into pieces. Challenge kids to put the pieces back together like a puzzle.

Playdough Pizza Parlor: Roll out the playdough and let kids make their own pizzas with various toppings. This is a great activity for imaginative play.

Letter and Number Formation: Use playdough to shape letters and numbers. This helps with early literacy and numeracy skills.

Imprint Nature Objects: Go on a nature walk and collect leaves, twigs, and other small items. Press them into the playdough to create unique textures and designs.

Playdough Animals: Shape playdough into different animal forms. Add details like eyes, ears, and tails to make them come to life.

Mini Playdough Worlds: Create small scenes or worlds using playdough. This could be a beach scene with shells and sea creatures, or a miniature garden with flowers and bugs.

Playdough Monsters: Encourage kids to create their own unique monsters with different shapes, colors, and features.

Playdough Color Mixing: Provide different colored playdough and let kids experiment with mixing them to create new colors.

Playdough Beads: Roll small pieces of playdough into beads and string them onto a piece of yarn or dental floss to make a bracelet or necklace.

Playdough Stamps: Press stamps or textured objects into the playdough to create interesting patterns and shapes.

Playdough Mosaics: Roll out flat sheets of playdough and use small pieces to create mosaic-style designs or pictures.

Playdough Pretend Cooking: Mold playdough into different food shapes and arrange them to create a playdough meal.

Playdough Aliens or Robots: Challenge kids to make imaginative extraterrestrial beings or futuristic robots.

Fingerprint Art: Press fingers or thumbs into the playdough to create patterns or make little characters.