Playdough Worms and Faces

What you'll need

Child seated at table or on floor with stable surface. Two colors of playdough and one crayon or thick marker within reach. Space should be well-lit and free of distractions.

How it works

1. 1~45s

   Start by showing your child the two playdough colors. Take a small piece of one color and demonstrate how to roll it between your palms to make a 'worm.' Then invite your child to try. Watch how they coordinates their hands — does they use both hands together in a smooth, back-and-forth motion? Or does one hand do most of the work? Tell me what you notice about their hand coordination.

   Watch for: Child uses coordinated hand movements to roll playdough into long strips between palms or on table surface.

2. 2~40s

   Now let's make the worms come alive! Show your child how to use the crayon to draw little eyes and a smile on each worm. Hand them the crayon and watch how they holds it. Does your child use a fist grip, or does they hold it with fingers like you would a pencil? Notice which fingers they uses and how they positions their hand. Tell me about their grip.

   Watch for: Child demonstrates emerging mature pencil grip — holding crayon with thumb and fingers rather than full fist.

3. 3~50s

   Let's put it all together now. Ask your child to make a few more worms, then add faces to each one. Watch how they switches between tasks — rolling playdough with both hands, then picking up the crayon with one hand to draw. Does your child stabilize the worm with one hand while drawing with the other? Can they coordinate both hands for different jobs at the same time? Tell me what you see.

   Watch for: Child uses both hands cooperatively for different tasks — one hand stabilizes while the other manipulates.

What this develops

• ◆Milestone
  Fine Motor Precision and Control

  Movementprimary
• ◆Milestone
  Hand-Eye Coordination

  Movementsecondary

Visual example