Playdough is the name of the toy that was introduced for the first time in the 1950s. Even though it has been around since the 1950s, it is still one of the favorite toys loved by children all around the world. Even though it looks like an ordinary toy appearance wise, it turns out that the benefits of playing playdough are good for children’s development.
Talking about playdough, it is a type of plasticine toy that can be shaped as they please. Playing playdough is safe for children because it can be used many times and is non-toxic. In this post you will be able to find some of the benefits of playing playdough for children. Make sure to check everything below!
Benefits of Playing Playdough for Children
If you want your little ones to benefit from playing playdough, consider the following reviews. However, before allowing them to play playdough, make sure to keep an eye on them.
1. Develops fine motor skills
The fine motor skills of children must be trained in the golden age so that their growth and development can get better. There are several ways to develop their motor skills. One of them is to provide playdough toys.
Allowing children to play playdough means allowing them to get involved in doing useful activities, such as rolling, squeezing, sculpting, pounding, and leveling playdough. All these activities are known to be great exercises to hone and develop their sensory motors.
Read also: Toys that Stimulate Children’s Motor
2. Increases children’s creativity
A lot of parents believe that one of the benefits of playing playdough is to increase children’s creativity. The reason is because playdough is a kind of toy that is easy to shape so that children are free to express their imagination to try new things.
According to research from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, playing playdough will teach children to think symbolically. Not only that, they will also enjoy squeezing and flattening the playdough while creating the shape that they want.
3. Gives a calming effect
Playing playdough is believed to give a calming effect on children because playdough will involve physical experience. Playing with this toy makes children feel relaxed, increase their focus, express their emotions, and release excess energy. It is the reason why playdough is the best solution for children who are feeling bored or stressed.
4. Improves literacy skills
Inviting your children to play playdough can give them a positive impact. During the playing time, you invite them to discuss while introducing words or letters related to playdough textures. It can be the perfect opportunity to hone literacy or language skills in children. Try to talk to them about new words, such as the shape and texture of the playdough.
5. Develops eye and hand coordination
Not only being able to improve language skills, playing playdough can also develop children’s hand-eye coordination. It is one of the most important things because, in the golden age, they must be assisted by the ability to coordinate eyes and hands so that they work together.
By playing playdough, the eyes and hands of the children will coordinate with each other to form simple objects. This method has been proven to be successful in making their ability develop significantly.
6. Trains children’s resilience
Playing playdough will make your children get more experiences and try new things. By allowing them to play this toy, they will find many mistakes and get the chance to fix them. For instance, your children want to make a tiger but the wax used for the legs will not stand up straight. As a result, they will think hard so that the tiger they make can stand upright. It is such a good thing to train their resilience and perseverance so that they will be able to overcome all obstacles in the future.
7. Makes children play actively
In addition to these six, allowing children to play playdough can also keep them active in playing. Instead of letting them continue to play with gadgets, it is better for you to give them playdough.
It has been known that letting children play with gadgets all day long will make them addicted and have a negative effect on their growth and development. On the other hand, letting them play playdough will help them focus more and be more active in training their cognitive skills.
These are some of the benefits of playing good playdough for children. Do not forget to give your children a little appreciation when they succeed in making various shapes.
