A good part of this morning was spent playing with Play Dough! I recommend at least 15 minutes a day of mandatory play dough time for everyone — it is great stress relief, and perfect for lots of pretend play! We sometimes make our own, but Clara was gifted with some Play Doh over the holidays, so we used it for this.
I gathered up some fun baking things from around the house, including: muffin tins, birthday candles, a large cutting board, rolling pin, cookie cutters, icing spreader, cookie sheets, cake server, and plastic plates just to name a few!
Then I invited Clara over for some play time fun!!
She seemed to particularly love the birthday candles, and enjoyed singing Happy Birthday to herself over and over again!
She was busy baking lots of muffins!
I recycled an empty spice container, added a few dried beans (they were bigger than the holes in the top of the spice container, so they didn’t come out), and it made fun pretend sprinkles!!! Everyone knows the most fun part about baking is the sprinkles!!!!
Yay for more sprinkles!!!
We also discovered that an empty yogurt container makes a perfect play dough cake mold!
I couldn’t resist this much fun, and had to make up a fun batch of cupcakes for our very special bakery!
I love that something as simple as play dough plus a few things from around the house made her so very happy! Later, we set up shop, and she tried to sell me colorful cakes, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and donuts for $20 each — this bakery is pricey!!!
Have fun!!
February 9th, 2011 on 2:29 pm
Dear Valerie,
These muffins taste.. well, awfully bland. Boy are they filling, too!
Love,
Mark
February 9th, 2011 on 5:06 pm
Oh sure, first the felt cookies taste like they’re high in fiber, and now the play dough muffins are too bland? Picky, picky, picky!
February 9th, 2011 on 3:26 pm
How fun! I love those cupcakes!
February 9th, 2011 on 4:10 pm
play dough is the best!
February 9th, 2011 on 4:40 pm
With all the things for decorating cakes, like fondant, those look like you could actually eat them. I’m sure the person who did would be sorry
February 9th, 2011 on 4:55 pm
From what I recall, you gave Clara all those things that you don’t really use
This bakery is awesome, and I really-really like the idea of adding actual birthday candles that can be easily used as designed after some minor clean up.
February 9th, 2011 on 5:07 pm
You are SO right about that, Natalie! I completely stole most of Mark’s baking tools for this — as I am constantly doing for my own selfish crafting purposes!
Muhahahaha!!!
February 9th, 2011 on 5:13 pm
Oh perfect! Playdough is just the best, it has been my stand by for 14 years! I love this post, your photos made me grin very widely!
February 9th, 2011 on 6:03 pm
I love that you made a theme for the play dough time. We use play dough a lot, but now I’m going to put together some “kits”.
February 9th, 2011 on 7:23 pm
okay serious those cupcakes you made actually look like very yummy cupcakes with tons of icing! Love the “sprinkles”!
February 10th, 2011 on 9:15 am
Great photos with this post! So much FUN!!!
February 10th, 2011 on 9:16 am
I agree! It looks good enough to eat. Are those silicone baking cups? On a side note, I’ve always wondered if those work well or if a few get accidentally thrown away after cupcake eating…
February 10th, 2011 on 9:28 am
Just $20, dahr-ling? Oh no, no, no, no! When using gold flake sprinkles, ze price must be at LEAST $100 a piece, dahr-ling!
February 10th, 2011 on 10:14 am
We love play dough! I find it to be a great activity for C when he comes home from school. His day is so long and he often needs something to ease his transition from school to home. Play dough is perfect for that.
February 10th, 2011 on 12:22 pm
This is sooo awesome!
February 10th, 2011 on 1:11 pm
I was just looking for a fun activity for my boys valentines party! I think that this would be so fun! Thank you for all your great ideas
February 10th, 2011 on 4:38 pm
I love their prices ! My daughter sold me a pair of shoes for 3000 dollars when she was 3. And ice cream for 1 dollar. Great !
February 10th, 2011 on 8:05 pm
I’m telling you that your girls are so lucky. I never liked playdough, thought it was messy. I made my kids play in the garage with it! I feel so bad about that now!
February 11th, 2011 on 2:05 am
Thanks for being my inspiration!!!!
February 11th, 2011 on 8:28 am
Thanks for the great reminders about play dough. What a great idea to add birthday candles and the sprinkle jar! My 4 year old will love this even though we have an abundance of tools!
February 11th, 2011 on 12:50 pm
I love your blog although my boys are older 9,11,and 14 my 2 little one’s still love playdough as I do…
but I really love your blog and wanted to tell you so (again)lol and the fact that WOW your little one is getting so big..I feel like I have watched her grow up. well I guess I have actually via: blog world..lol Have a great day.
February 12th, 2011 on 3:37 pm
oh great! Love the cakes and we also have playdough activities planned for next week. Loving the idea of adding real kitchen items to enhance the play!!
February 14th, 2011 on 10:04 am
I agree, there should be mandatory play dough time every day!! Love the little cupcakes you made….did you use cupcake liners to make them?
February 14th, 2011 on 3:34 pm
I always give my daughter cookie cutters to play with playdough, but I have never thought to give her baking cups etc. She is obsessed with cupcakes and birthdays. She would LOVE to do this. Thanks for the great idea!
March 2nd, 2011 on 11:31 am
I loved this post. I shared it with my readers today. http://pinkiefae.blogspot.com/2011/03/pinkies-picks-march-1-2011.html
October 3rd, 2011 on 11:03 pm
I love your ideas for playdough. We just posted a great Homemade Playdough Recipe and I posted about your ideas along with it.
http://2betterthan1but3wow.blogspot.com/2011/10/great-ways-to-use-that-homemade.html
Great ideas!!