• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Printables Terms of Use
  • Subscribe!
  • Printables
    • Free Printables
    • Circle Time Printable Packets
    • Fall Printable Packets
    • Themed Printable Packets
    • Fine Motor Printable Packets
    • Dramatic Play Printable Packs
    • Literacy and Story Time Printable Packets
    • Color Recognition Printable Packets
    • Winter Printable Packs
    • Spring Printable Packets
  • Preschool
  • Toddlers
  • Lesson Plans
    • Preschool Lesson Plans
    • Toddler Lesson Plans
You are here: Home / Playdough / Birthday Fun Playdough Activity

This post might contain affiliate links. Click here for more information. Thanks for visiting!

Birthday Fun Playdough Activity

January 31, 2012 by Sheryl Cooper

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Inside: Put together a fun playdough activity that involves birthday pretend play. Candles and other loose parts make this a fun fine motor idea for toddlers and preschoolers.

Have you noticed how excited preschoolers get when they hear the word “birthday”? They just light up!

Many years ago, probably when I first started teaching, I added some candles to our playdough table.

I never imagined how loved this activity would be. Playdough birthday fun!

Every single time we put candles at our playdough table, even with our toddlers, it’s a huge hit!

The next time you are grocery shopping, pick up some candles. Place them on the table with playdough. And watch.

 

 

Birthday Fun Playdough Activity

Playdough is a staple in our classroom.

We have a designated spot for it during our free-choice centers time and children are free to come and go as they wish.

Some advantages of playdough:

  • strengthens fine motor skills
  • encourages creativity
  • is soothing for those who might be experiencing separation anxiety
  • calms children, especially during those high-energy days

Playdough Birthday Activity

Playdough is fun at home, too!

Simply keep a batch of it in an airtight container and have it ready to go, for those moments you need some quiet time.

It’s so easy to set up at the kitchen table!

Playdough Birthday Activity

Birthday Pretend Play

Since birthdays are cherished in our classroom, no matter how we set up the playdough table there always seems to be a birthday involved.

The children love pressing any loose parts on top of of a playdough mound, announcing it’s someone’s birthday.

(In my many years of teaching, I’ve lost track of how many times a child has brought me a playdough cupcake, singing the traditional Happy Birthday Song.)

One particular year birthdays were a huge hit, so I decided to turn our playdough table into a designated birthday baking center.

No surprise that it was the most popular center that week!

Playdough Birthday Activity

What we used:

  • Homemade play dough (you can find our recipe in this post)
  • Assorted birthday candles
  • Silicone cupcake liners
  • Plastic plates and other fun accessories

Playdough Birthday Activity

Because this is an open-ended activity, the children decide how they want to create birthday treats out of playdough.

The more loose parts you provide, the more options they have.

Playdough Birthday Activity

Don’t be surprised if a child approaches you with one of their birthday creations, inviting you to blow out the “candles”!

Simple, child-led fun.

Playdough Birthday Activity

Here are more birthday-themed activities to try:

  • Balloons and birthdays go hand-in-hand, so why not paint with them?
  • Color rice different colors, add candles, and have fun with a birthday sensory bin! (Hands On As We Grow)
  • It will smell like a real birthday cake with this birthday cloud dough. (I Can Teach My Child)

 


How to Put Together a Fun Playdough Activity to Celebrate Birthdays

More creative activities:

10+ Fun Paper Plate Crafts

15 Contact Paper Activities

10+ Toilet Paper Roll Activities

FREE CIRCLE TIME PLANNER!

Get your FREE circle time planner as a gift when you subscribe to my free weekly newsletters.

Here is my Privacy Policy

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Filed Under: Fine Motor, Home Activities, Playdough, preschool, Preschool Fine Motor, Toddler Fine Motor, Toddlers Tagged With: fine motor, home activities, playdough, preschool, toddlers

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

Previous Post: « Preschool Shapes Printable Activity
Next Post: Painting With Clothespins and Natural Sponges »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andie Jaye

    February 17, 2014 at 6:59 am

    This is just what I was looking for to include in my upcoming post on things to do with sick kiddos! Glad I found it!

Primary Sidebar

You can also find us here!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Looking for something specific?

Categories

Welcome! I'm Sheryl Cooper, teacher of 2 and 3 year olds for over 22 years. Read more about me here!

More Printables!

preschool printables

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds is a participant in Amazon Associates.

preschool printables

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds · Privacy Policy