Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will enhance their finger dexterity through engaging play with play dough, creating fun face pieces, and improving their fine motor skills while having a great time!

Materials and Prep

• Play dough (any color)
• Flat surface to work on (like a table or mat)
• Optional: A damp cloth for easy cleanup

Before starting the lesson, make sure the play dough is soft and ready to use. You can knead it a bit if it feels hard. Find a comfortable spot to work where the student can spread out and play freely.

Activities

• Face Piece Creation:

  Encourage the student to roll small pieces of play dough into shapes for facial features like eyes, noses, and mouths. They can make silly faces or create characters!

• Finger Painting with Play Dough:

  Have the student use their fingers to flatten and shape the play dough, creating colorful designs and patterns. This will help with finger strength and creativity!

• Play Dough Sculptures:

  Challenge the student to create a small sculpture using different colors of play dough. They can make animals, people, or anything they can imagine!

• Play Dough Pizza:

  Let the student create their own pizza with play dough! They can roll out a base and add toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, and cheese using small pieces of dough.

Talking Points

• "Look at how we can use our fingers to make different shapes! Can you show me how you can roll the dough?"
• "What happens when we squish the dough? Does it change shape? Let’s explore together!"
• "Can you make a happy face? What about a silly one? Let’s see your creativity!"
• "How many colors can you use to make your pizza? Let’s make it the best pizza ever!"
• "Do you feel your fingers getting stronger? That’s great! Strong fingers help us do many things!"
• "What was your favorite part of making with play dough? I can’t wait to see what you create next!"