Sand Play Dough Letters

[45 Minutes]

Bring a bit of the beach home with you and use it to make play dough that will harden in the sun. Show your child how to form the dough into letters.

You'll need:

• measuring cup • plastic or wood letters • saucepan • bowl • 1 cup sand • 2 cups cornstarch • 3/4 cup water • rolling pin • spatula • plastic knife • cookie sheet or tray

What to do:

1. Invite your child to help measure and pour ingredients into a saucepan. Cook until very thick.
2. Let the mixture cool and then put it into a bowl.
3. Challenge her to knead the cooled mixture for a few minutes and then to roll or pat out the dough so that it is 1/2" to 3/4" thick.
4. Encourage her to press plastic or wooden letters into the dough or to cut the dough into strips with a plastic knife and form the letters by hand. She can make the letters of her name or her initials.
5. Carefully lift the finished letters and put them on a tray or cookie sheet.
6. Place the tray or cookie sheet in the sun to bake for 1 to 2 days. The letters will become hard.
7. Cover any remaining mixture in the bowl with plastic wrap for later use.
8. These make great paperweights.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• What else could you make with this special dough?
• How does the dough feel when you work with it?
• What is the hardest letter to make? The easiest?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity provides experiences for developing concepts related to alphabet awareness and reading.