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This game brings all the creative fun of printmaking to the sensory goodness of dough play and then adds a clever twist! You make the prints, and your friend guesses what you used to make them. But watch out…it’s simple to make a mark, but easy to be fooled when you are the guesser. When you’re done with the game, keep playing with The Dough Project’s super, all natural, dough.

Be a Dough-tective

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Image of the LMNOPlay! logo and The Dough Project logo - partners in the creation of this play-dough activity for kids.

Be a Dough-tective

Dough Icon to describe play material used in this Play-doh activity for kids
Household Icon to describe play material used in this Play-doh activity for kids
Dough Icon to describe learning objective used in this Play-doh activity for kids
Fine motor Icon to describe play learning objective used in this Play-doh activity for kids
Image of various kitchen items for use in this play-dough activity for kids

Ready

  • Playdough: We recommend The Dough Project’s DIY Kit!
  • 5 or more loose parts to make imprints. Some ideas include:
    – Hard fruits & vegetables 
    – Forks/spoons 
    – A colander, cheese grater or potato masher
    – Natural parts (e.g. acorns, sticks, shells, pebbles, & leaves)
    – Screws, nuts & bolts
    – Empty spools
    – Corks
    – Rubber bands, paper clips & erasers
    – Buttons
    – Keys

For maximum silliness don’t forget to include body parts such as noses, elbows, fingers, chins, etc. 🙂

Image of The Dough Factory's play-dough kit, a whisk, and a wiggly piece of play-dough for use in this play-dough activity for kids.

Set

  • Make your special playdough with The Dough Project’s DIY Kit.      
  • Roll out your dough on a flat surface.
  • Place your printmaking materials near your dough. 
  • Find someone to play with!
Image of a red blob of play-dough and a fork making imprints for use in this play-dough activity for kids.

Play!

  • Decide who will be Player 1 and who will be Player 2.
  • Player 1: Close your eyes!
  • Player 2: Choose a printmaking material and make a print in your dough.
  • Player 1: Open your eyes and try to guess which item was used to make the print!
  • Now, switch roles to continue playing this printmaking guessing game.

Play your way! What else can you do with these open-ended materials and dough?

Why Play This Way?

Like the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of play-based invitations, this game brings together two familiar, favorite, ingredients in an open-ended play experience that is sure to leave its mark. Children will experiment again and again with their dough and collected items, while marveling at their unique prints. By exploring through their sense of touch they will learn to view objects through a textural lens and use descriptive language to describe their prints. Plus, busy fingers will get a great fine motor workout! Most importantly, from start to finish, everyone will enjoy a wonderful, down to earth, playtime experience.

Better with a Book

At LᐧMᐧNᐧOᐧPlay!, we love to pair our play with a great book.

Image of the book cover, In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak, suggested to accompany this play-dough activity for kids.

“In the Night Kitchen” by Maurice Sendak

Image of the book cover, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, suggested to accompany this play dough activity for kids.

“The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats

We would love to see how you played today. Please share the fun with our community on Instagram by tagging @lmnoplaynyc and @the_dough_project

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more fun activities

Whoever said work isn’t fun?! These activities, inspired by Joan Heilbroner’s marvelous book “Robert the Rose Horse”, reinforce the notion that “Play is the work of childhood!” Explore countless opportunities to notice the important jobs and workers around you. Then, discover the ways that even the youngest among us can be workers too!

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Splish, Splash I’m not takin’ a bath…I’m just playing with water! These activities are designed to delight your little one with all the sensory fun of water while also delivering the soothing social and emotional benefits inherent in this type of play. Discover ways to play with water in all kinds of places and with unexpected materials.

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Make math time happy with these fun counting activities. #1: Create your own abacus. #2: Count and play all day! These activity ideas provide a playful introduction to counting and the many ways that we encounter and use math in everyday life.

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Roll on into fruit play! Have a blast experiencing fruit in new and hilarious ways that will get you moving and laughing. Get your muscles ready, but be prepared! These activities might make you hungry and ready to quickly transition from playing to eating!

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This game brings all the creative fun of printmaking to the sensory goodness of dough play and then adds a clever twist! You make the prints, and your friend guesses what you used to make them. But watch out…it’s simple to make a mark, but easy to be fooled when you are the guesser. When you’re done with the game, keep playing with The Dough Project’s super, all natural, dough.

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