Spooky and Simple Halloween Play Dough

Halloween is around the corner and my kids cannot wait! We have started a few halloween themed activities at our house, but this simple playdough activity has been the most popular! It was designed for the preschool contingent, but appealed mostly to the school-aged kids! My 8-year-old son called it the "most best playdough ever!" I simply made up two batches of playdough, one black and one a beigy colour and provided the children with a few spooky accessories.

Part way through the activity, I added one more accessory, which proved to be a popular addition...paper straws! Once the children had all the materials, I invited them to create whatever came to mind. Their imaginations did not disappoint!

Plastic spiders were pressed, eye balls were placed, gauze was wrapped, and straws were poked, creating all sorts of spooky creatures...

This simple activity is rich in fine motor practice and language development as they describe their creations and discuss taking turns using the different tools and play dough colours. It also gives children an opportunity for their imaginations to run wild without structured rules for the use of provided materials.

Our Favourite Playdough Recipe

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup water
• food colouring or paint

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Cook and stir until a ball of dough forms that is no longer gooey and sticky.

I used liquid acrylic craft paint to create the black playdough. I squirted in about a teaspoonful during the cooking and stirring process.

For the coloured dough, I used a few drops of green, yellow, and red food colouring.