It’s Day 16 of our 31 Days of Outdoor Activities for Toddlers and today we made nature impressions in playdough! This was such a simple activity but something I know we will come back to again and again as Little Sister enjoyed it so much!

Playdough is not only super fun to play with, it is also really great at strengthening the small muscles in the hands, which is important for preparing your child’s hands for writing!

Here is my favorite (super easy) recipe for playdough:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 1/2 cups boiling water

Essential oils (6-10 drops)

Food coloring

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the canola oil. Slowly add the boiled water. I usually add the essential oil and food coloring to the water before dumping it into the mixer.

2. Set your mixer on low for about 5 minutes for perfect playdough. Doesn’t get much easier than that! Just cover with a dish towel until it has cooled enough to be handled.
And please note that our yellow playdough perfectly matches our yellow Kitchen Aid Mixer. :)

3. Once your playdough has cooled, put it on a tray and take it outside. Don’t forget to bring your rolling pin (and any other playdough toys your child enjoys).

4. Gather some items from around the yard…leaves, pine cones, sturdy flowers, etc. Encourage your child to press them into the playdough, leaving impressions of the items.