Snowman Dough

from 24 months · 20-30 min · Sensory

What you need

Pull the dough into three pieces together: a big one, a middle one and a little one.
Roll each piece into a ball between your hands or on the tray.
Stack them up, big at the bottom and little on top, to make a snowman.
Poke in the lolly stick arms and press in eyes and a smile with a fingertip.
Squash it flat with a big "splat!" and make another one.

Rolling, stacking and poking dough works every part of the hand, and building big, middle and little gives them real words for size.

Rolling and shaping: Rolling a ball between flat palms takes both hands working together.
Big and small: Making three sizes and stacking them in order is a hands-on way to compare size.
Poking and pressing: Pressing in eyes with one finger builds the control they need for later drawing.

Watch for them holding two balls side by side and telling you which one is the big one. Stay close, nothing in mouths.

Play dough is salty, so keep it for hands only, and wash hands together when you finish.

Easier: make a two-ball snowman and let them do the squashing

Harder: make a snow family: a big snowman and a tiny one beside it