Homemade dough

There are lots of recipes for homemade dough. Some of it is brightly coloured, scented or glittery. Most recipes are cheap to make and use flour, salt and oil. Choose the recipe that is most suitable for you and your child, taking into account allergies and whether you want to cook it in a pan or in the microwave.

When children play with dough, they build up the muscles in their fingers and hands. These muscles will be used at school to cut with scissors and hold a pencil.

Children develop their hand-eye coordination, and use imagination when they pretend that the dough is something else.

Talk with your child about the sensations they are feeling when they squeeze the dough. Is it cold or warm, soft and smooth or hard and bumpy? You could talk about what they're making or what you're making and have fun together.