Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
Parenting

6 Benefits of playing with Play-Doh

Darpan News Desk IANS, 15 Sep, 2022 11:46 AM
  • 6 Benefits of playing with Play-Doh

When it comes to kid's toys, who doesn't know Play-Doh? Play-Doh is loved by toddlers and children alike, and more often than not, even adults can't resist themselves from engaging in this fun activity! With umpteen learning and sensory benefits, Play-Doh aids imagination and growth, allowing children to experiment with colours, shapes, and textures. While Play-Doh's safe and non-toxic ingredients make it a preferred choice amongst parents, this activity has more to offer than meets the eye! Here are some fun facts you probably didn't know about Play-Doh shared by Dr. Wilona Annunciation, MD, Consultant Psychiatrist and Founder of CATALYSTS:

Enhances Motor Development

Moulding, rolling, squishing, flattening, cutting and chopping are some of the many ways in which children engage with Play-Doh. These activities can help strengthen their muscles, improve dexterity, and allow them to develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

Such activities prove to be extremely beneficial during their early learning stages and preschool years, as it allows them to develop their finger muscle grip and strength before they even learn to write.

Creativity and Imagination

Play-Doh encourages and inspires your children to kindle their imagination. Since Play-Doh comes in no shape or form, children can fully immerse themselves in the activity, while exploring the infinite possibilities of creating whatever they want- be it objects they come across in day to day life, or something completely unique. This practice of moulding something from a mental image to shape can boost their imagination and allow them to enjoy the process of creating something of their own. With time, their creations only tend to become more detailed and creative!

Boosts curiosity and knowledge

Mixing two different colours of dough and discovering a new colour, or forming different shapes with Play-doh, stimulates the curiosity of children and encourages them to question things, thereby aiding overall cognitive development and knowledge. While experimenting with Play-Doh, children learn by observing, thinking, executing new ideas, and solving problems, important for their critical reasoning later. So, the next time your child asks for Play-Doh, not only encourage them, but also participate in the play with them to help them learn the most from it.

Concentration

One of the most important skills that Play-doh allows children to develop is a good attention span. Toddlers and children are usually restless, and may often want to play with a number of toys at once or run around the house. With the current challenges with screen time, attention spans are only growing shorter. But this activity entails them to sit in one place for long periods of time, gradually increasing their concentration span. The more invested they are in their work and creation, the longer they will push themselves to remain focused.

In addition, children also develop a sense of perseverance that helps them concentrate until their creation looks just about perfect.

Therapeutic engagement

Moulding the dough into different shapes, squishing it, and feeling the texture, can be an extremely positive and rewarding experience for children. Energetic, restless and anxious children can learn how to relax, and release their energy in a contained matter while immersing themselves in this fun activity. Similarly, if a child is angry or aggressive, Play-Doh can act as an excellent support, helping them calm down and share their experiences through play. Play-Doh is optimal for soothing a child and transitioning them from noisy play to quiet time and relaxation.

Sensory Development

Play-Doh offers an amazing opportunity for children to develop their senses! Along with visual stimulation, Play-Doh helps children experience different textures and scents. Since Play-Doh is all about hands-on exploration, children learn to experiment with textures and consistencies, while using cookie cutters, scissors, and other toys. One simple activity of playing with Play-Doh can stimulate various senses and offer development of fine and gross motor skills, language development, aid communication skills and social interaction, and enable problem solving in a way that is both fun and safe for children of all ages!

MORE Parenting ARTICLES

5 reasons to bring kids into the kitchen

5 reasons to bring kids into the kitchen
Simple scientific experiments play a vital role in kids' development as they grow up. Purvi Gandhi, Occupation Therapist, Intervention Coach and Founder of Theraphil, breaks down each skill a child can gain while helping out in the kitchen. 

5 reasons to bring kids into the kitchen

Adolescent smoking leads to accelerated dependency

Adolescent smoking leads to accelerated dependency
Teen smoking also poses a great deal of physiological challenges like breathlessness, lack of stamina, reduced lung growth and early cardiovascular damages, diabetes, oral issues and cancer.

Adolescent smoking leads to accelerated dependency

5 Outdoor activities to try with your kids this summer

5 Outdoor activities to try with your kids this summer
Every summer we plan to try different parks and different activities that we can enjoy with our kids. This year, I have created a list of activities that will keep the kids engaged, are fresh, will help develop their interpersonal skills, and will take them a little closer to nature. Here are a few tips. 

5 Outdoor activities to try with your kids this summer

The Art of Balancing Family and Entrepreneurship

The Art of Balancing Family and Entrepreneurship
To me, the family has always been a source of my happiness and spending time with them always takes my stress away! Even when I started my own company, my family were my biggest cheerleaders and that continues to date, but I always ensure the right amount of balance between quality time with them and work.

The Art of Balancing Family and Entrepreneurship

How a parent can help their child prep for a competitive exam

How a parent can help their child prep for a competitive exam
A parent should ideally serve as a facilitator for their kids throughout tests, inspiring and helping them release tension when needed. Because they have more one-on-one time with their children, parents play the most important role in assisting children in dealing with examination stress.

How a parent can help their child prep for a competitive exam

Engage your toddlers indoor

Engage your toddlers indoor
Even after spending a fair share of time in the park, kids persist to spend more and more time outside. While parents try their best to entertain them, at times it gets challenging for them to engage their toddlers at home. Here are some innovative tips from young parents and paediatricians on how to engage your toddlers indoors:

Engage your toddlers indoor