Playdough Squeeze Cutter

from 18 months · 10-15 min · Fine motor

What you need

Flatten a lump of soft play dough on a tray.
Show your toddler how to press a large cookie cutter down and lift it to reveal a shape.
Let them press cutters all over the flattened dough.
Squish it all back into a ball to flatten and start again.

Pressing a cutter down with steady force builds the controlled hand pressure needed later for writing and cutting with scissors.

Hand strength: Pressing down with steady, even force builds the grip strength later needed for scissors and pencils.
Cause & effect: Lifting the cutter to reveal a clean shape shows a clear, satisfying result from a simple action.
Shape recognition: Seeing the same cutter make the same shape every time starts building an early sense of consistent shapes.

Watch for them peeking under the cutter before lifting it — that's anticipation and curiosity about the result.

Keep the dough soft and warm in your hands first; stiff dough is frustrating for small arms to press through.

Easier: help guide their hand on the first press so they feel how much force is needed

Harder: name the shape that appears each time and try to press two cutters side by side