I am just trying to find fun things to do with my daughter since we spend all day together and I was thinking about purchasing one of those fun play doh factory deluxe sets. Do you think they are appropriate for a 14 month old baby to play with? Do you thing that she is too young to play with it right now?
Thanks so much moms for all the great advice. I decided not to purchase the whole set but just the though since she is so little.
I do want to try it though because the weather is getting cold outside and I am already 6 months pregnant so my energy level is not that high now, so this might be a nice relax way of having a fun activity with her. Before we use to go to the park almost every day but as I said the weather is not helping. I really like the idea of buying the cookie cutters with letter shapes etc to make it a learning experience as well so thanks a lot for that idea, as well as the dry noodles idea it's great, I'm sure she'll love that.
I also Googled it and got a lot of great recipes, as well as the one I got here made with white four (which looks really easy to make and will be trying first) because she does eats everything she sees on the floor, so in case she does eat it it won't be toxic (although I will discourage her from eating it so she doesn't get use to it and later on she might try it with the real play doh )
So thanks a lot for the great advice!
No. For one, she will probably put it in her mouth. But I also just hate that stuff, it gets dried in the toys, and ground into the carpet!
I think she would love it. There are,also, some recipes for playdough that you can play with and eat afterwards. The one I've made is made with peanutbutter.
I just had to edit to let you know NOT to give her Moon Sand. It is so messy! I will only let my kids play with it outside. Several of my friends have thrown it out because it is so messy. Imagine colored sand all over the floor.
My daughter has been playing with playdough since about 15 months, always with me and ONLY at the kitchen table. I wouldn't spend the money on one of those factory sets though until they are 2 1/2 or 3 at the youngest. I would just to go Big Lots (or we got ours at Kohls) and get one of the little buckets with the 4 different colors, some cookie cutters, and the little plastic knife and rolling pin. The set we have has numbers 0-9 and my daughter can recognize and put them in order, I know this isn't why but it sure has helped.
My daughter LOVES dough dough, as she calls it, and we play with it almost daily. I always play with her and we put down a placemat for her to play on, I also only take out one color at a time so that it doesn't make a mess. I don't let her do it over carpet or with other toys so there is no need to worry about a mess there. In fact I'm sure Santa is bringing some animal cookie cutters and a 24 pack of play dough this year.
Depending on your daughter (I had one that didn't put things in her mouth and one that put EVERYTHING in her mouth) I think it's a great idea. If she puts things in her mouth, make your own . . . here is an easy fun recipe. My girls love to make it. I used to have a gingerbread recipe too, but I couldn't find it. I'm sure you can google it.
PLAY DOUGH
2 cups flour (white, not wheat)
1 cup salt
2 cups water
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
(options: food coloring, flavorings, kool-aid--which both colors and flavors)
Mix well. Cook over medium heat--stir constantly--until a ball forms. Put on waxed paper and knead until smooth (careful--it'll be hot).
It is fine as long as you are closely supervising her. My son has been using it since shortly after 12 mos. Although he did at first, he now rarely tries to mouth it. We use it at the kitchen table, or on the floor (linoleum, ceramic or hardwood, never on the carpet) on a baking sheet. I also let him try to cut it with plastic utensils.
Before spending the $ on one of the deluxe factory sets, I'd look into the simple Play doh tools that they have, such as little rolling pins, zig-zag shaped plastic cutters, presses, molds, etc. That helps more with the fine motor development than the factories could.
Yes, yes, yes, I agree with lilpiggietoes. It's not going to hurt them if they do put it in their mouth. It is non-toxic.
Perfectly fine as long as you are doing it with her/supervising. I would echo the recommendations of homemade play dough that is safer should she "try" some, it is only natural for her to be curious. And playing with it somewhere that can get dirty and be cleaned up easily after the fun is over. Some great holiday play dough recipes online (pumpkin, peppermint, etc.) I love this website for activities at home with little ones as well as having creative/easy to make play dough recipes: http://www.littlegiraffes.com
Fourteen-month-olds still put everything in their mouths, and Play-doh has no nutritional value. Think about saving the Play-doh for when she's several years older and it's summer and she can use it outside!
For now think about board books, about push toys that make noise (if she's walking), about a small gym she can climb on - if you have room. She needs to be active. Play music and dance with her. Take her for walks at HER speed, and look at everything she's interested in.
no
She will eat it.
it gets EVERYWHERE as well .
wow some strong feelings about the playdoh. I personally feel it is an excellent tool for developing fine motor skills and sensory exploration. I would give her one color at a time, I would put her (with a big bib on the good plastic ones like art smocks with the pocket on the bottom to catch stuff ) in a high chair on tile or linolium (sp) or you can use a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet with edges). I would take drinking straws or uncooked hard spaghetti noodles and let them poke it into a playdoh pancake and they would pretend it was birthday candles. At this age it's a lot of poking their fingers into it, and if you roll a ball she'll squish it etc. Plan to play with her so you can supervise, it isn't harmful if eaten but it does show up in the poo. And i would plan no more than 10 minutes. If she starts to throw it or eat it or not be interested in it, take it away clean her up and be done. IF you keep the lids on tight and keep it fresh and soft it is less messy than when it starts to dry out, then it gets crumbly and can really make a mess in your carpet, but again, be smart do it on tile or some sort of protected surface so you don't even have to worry about it. have fun!
It could be urban myth but i have been told that the mere aroma of playdough can cause relaxation in brain waves in adults. ahhhhh
i guess it would depend on the child. seems to me it's a key time in a child's development exploring new foods and textures, so it seems a natural step for the baby to eat it...but i suppose as long as you are right there with her she may enjoy just squishing it. i sure don't ever remember being short things to do with my child at this age...it's an amazing age! play with her toys with her, put her in the high chair while you cook, let her bang on pots and pans....there are tons of things she can do. it's such an inquisitive age - she's probably happy just exploring new things. have fun!
(ps, i think it's better than moon sand actually, mess-wise - our son does fine with play doh at the kitchen table - the moon sand crumbles too easily for my liking, you kind of have to sweep it up, instead of just picking up chunks of play doh...)
My son and I started playing with Playdoh when he was about a year old. I would suggest at this age that it always be playtime together when it comes to Playdoh. It was actually one of my favorite things to do. I just bought cookie cutters in the shape of shapes, numbers, and letters and we used it as fun learning time, as well. As he got a bit older, I did buy some of the fancier Playdoh items.
Just my two cents.
R.
YES it is very good to help develop fine motor skills...Others say NO because they hate it it gets into the carpet stuck in the toys & dries out well not if you play with it in the designated area in your home say a childs table,if your worried about it getting it into the carpet then use it on linoleum floors if you have them in the kitchen or hard wood it comes off easily,if not placing something under the table that can be cleaned up after use & clean the toy oy before putting it away even if it gets dried it chips off the toys..
Now for them putting it into their mouths if your playing along side of them just like with anything else this is how kids learn observe feel & taste is with their hands & mouth they will try it when they do let child know that isn't what you do with play doh second attempt put it away..
It is a great developmental tool for kids...I use it with kids at work for fine motor skills. But the younger ones like to put it in their mouths. I will make some out of food ingredients---you can google it---that way it is safe to eat, but I still discourage eating it just so they don't get used to it. They even have fun holiday recipices like pumpkin play dough.
I agree with Adansmama it depends on your child. I think its funny how many people said she will put it in her mouth. my son is 15mnths and the only things that goes in his mouth is food, and things he knows he is allowed to bite like teething rings or his stuffed bear (he bites its nose...his version of kisses.) The playdough factories have small part though and arent recomended for children that age so stick with just the dough.
Hmm, I would have said no, but some people say yes. I guess it depends on what kind of kid she is.
Former preschool teacher (15-18 mo olds) and mom to 3. Playdoh is great, but you don't need the whole set yet. She'll enjoy squishing it, maybeing a few cookie cutter type things, but she won't really be concerned with using the whole set yet. Now, you can get it now for use later, or if you plan to be totally involved in doing the set, she might enjoy seeing you do it,but she would also be happy just squishing one color with her hands.
My son played with it at 14 months.He was past the putting everything in his mouth stage, though. He is 18 months now. We also made our own, so (google salt dough) It wasn't such a big deal, if he mouthed it every so often. I used veggie and fruit based dyes and it didn't get stuck to everything. You might wait, if your child still mouths everything. I wouldn't have, but you might want to ;)
Appropriate if you make your own doh out of edible items.
No! Unless you like cleaning it out of the carpet and your daughters mouth and clothes. My son is 21 months and I still wont let him near the stuff. Try moon dough, it is more formable and doesnt dry out or stick in carpet.
