Playdough: The toy that helps us be who we are 

When it comes to childhood, you remember simple things of life: playing with toys. When kids play with their toys, they start developing their brains because they are using skills to learn how to function these toys in how they want to. A good example of a toy that requires different skills is play-doh. Play-doh is about 4 ounces and comes in a plastic cup and is made out of water, flour, and salt which makes it non-toxic and safe for kids to play with. Play-doh is a toy that lets it decide what it wants to be and comes in any shape or color, providing a fun playing experience for kids to sharpen their skills.

An article conducted by the National Measume of play, states that Play-doh has been around since 1955, it was supposed to be a wallpaper cleaner but then Joe McVicker found out from teachers that children find it hard to model clay and manipulate it to what they wanted to so, McVickers made a cleaning product squishy cleaning product and sent it out to schools in Cincinnati and got lots of great reviews and in 1956, a wider production for play-doh started (National Museum of play). The article presented a good question about making a more 

                                                                                                                             

accessible way for children to use clay. With McVicker’s invention, he made it softer and squishy so it would allow children to be able to use this clay without any trouble. Another reason why play-doh is a great toy for children is that it allows children to manipulate the toy any way they want to. For example, children can make any shapes they want to with the play-doh which can sharpen their thinking when they are using the play-doh. With this toy, kids can make anything that they want to see by crafting a simple shape repeatedly which allows children to strategize new ideas that they come up with. Play-dough essentially allows kids to have their own imagination that sharpens their creativity by using the dough.

When it comes to Play-doh there are tons of benefits to children in their development. Whether it be with creativity or coordination, it allows for an immersive playing experience for the children. It allows them to be the ones in charge of the play-dough. When deciding what toy to purchase your child, anyone can consider all the upsides of the toy that will also be a fun experience for the child to have as well.

Overall, play-doh is a toy that allows for endless fun and creativity. It allows children to be able to manipulate their creation as much as they like to while other toys don’t have that option to do so. The toy is also soft and nontoxic which makes it also safe for the kids to play with and easy as well. Essentially, the toy is an amazing addition to add as a toy for a child to play with.

 

                                                                                                                              

When it comes to defining childhood there could be a different definition for everyone. It could be having lots of free time, playing with toys, and using your own creativity. With play-doh, it allows children to have a toy where children can use their creativity, Play-dough will enable children to use their skill thinking tools. 

An article conducted by Michigan State University states that “When playing with peers, these creations can become much more involved, with different characters and buildings. The opportunities are endless!”(Shrier 5). According to the article, it states that with play-doh it allows for endless opportunities when using the toy which allows for the creativity of the child but also a fun toy to play with. This states that the meaning of play-doh is for kids to sharpen their creativity which happens during their childhood years. Sharpening children’s minds, allows kids to be problem solvers early on in their lives which helps make them more readily prone to problem-solving, which will become a useful tool for children in school. 

Playdough is the missing puzzle piece to children’s childhood experience. It’s the missing puzzle piece that solves their puzzle by allowing children to have their own creativity and problem-solving skills which is the piece to having a full childhood experience. With the completed set, it can be shown how the puzzle allows an educational experience that helps with childhood development that is also fun to play with.

Playdough can’t only be limited to children but can also be used by adults. When adults rediscover play-dough, they can remember why the toy felt as if it was like childhood. It can 

                                                                                                                           

show how the use of creativity makes them feel like a child again by making any shape or figure with their own imagination and also using their own strategies on how their figure will end up working. 

Playing with the toy can also be a reminder to adults that their childhood is over and that they can’t play with these toys anymore. Play-dough can be a reminder to adults about how their creativity sharpened their minds with their own thought and meaning behind the toy but can also be a reminder that childhood is gone and that they’re living in the real world now. Play-dough is an essential toy for childhood which is why it allows adults to be reminded that they’re older now and can’t use this toy anymore like how they did when they were children. Nostalgia can be enabled by being reminded of childhood but nostalgia just traps people into the feeling of wanting the past instead of living in the now or looking forward to better things to happen in the future.

In summary, Play-dough essentially can be harmful to a child later in life. When an adult looks back on their childhood they can be reminded of the toy they used all the time because they had all the time in the world when they were a child. It sets a reminder to adults that they’re not children anymore and that they’re real people in the real world. Even making a simple shape like a circle out of play-dough can be reminded of all thoughts of childhood.

 

                                                                                                                          

  The toy playdough has been around for over 70 years allowing children to express their creativity in a piece of clay. The toy is an accessible toy that can allow children to have an immersive experience. Playdough will enable children to express themselves to help shape their identity because it allows children to craft their own ideas by using clay to make any shapes they want which helps expression which helps to form an identity of their own.

When it comes to playing dough helps children to shape a sense of their own identity in the toy. An article by teach wire states “ Its potential to offer children the chance to explore and develop their own designs and ideas. They can work independently and cooperatively to problem solve as they add varied materials to their creations and edit and re-edit their thinking. Playdough offers the chance for children to express their individuality.” (Beeley 18). According to this article, it states that Playdough allows children can translate their own ideas and designs into clay and it could be either independent or dependent which can help children build on their group work skills.

A way that children are able to gain a sense of their own identity is by getting to know what they like and what they feel about themselves. The article teaches wire states that “ How we offer access to playdough can have a positive impact on children’s independence and confidence. Provide it in such a way that children are able to select it themselves rather than it always being laid out, and they will develop their ability to make independent choices and their confidence to follow their own ideas.”(Beeley 5). This article brings up a point on independence and how the toy play-dough allows children to express independence by using play-dough because it allows 

                                                                                                                             

children to get confident in their own choice of designs and helps them shape themselves to become their own person.

When it comes to the ability for children to find their own identity it is important for them to get a sense of that on their own by being allowed to express themselves how they want to. Toys are an essential way that children get to express themselves. Play-dough is a toy that helps children to be able to get their point across with the toy. It is important to get a sense of identity early on because it would be easier to find out your true self in your childhood rather than in adulthood later on.

With this in mind, Play-dough is an essential toy for children to have around because it has so many benefits by using it. For example, fine motor skills, creativity, independence, and cooperation. It allows for a great addition as a toy because children need all these skills to help them later on in their adult life and starting children early on will help benefit them along the line. This toy is a must-have for any child to have around.

Sources

Shrier, Carrie “Purpose of playing with play dough.” January 6, 2017 https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/purpose_of_playing_with_play_dough

Beeley, Kristine “ Playdough Offers Endless Opportunities For Sensory Exploration.”

https://www.teachwire.net/news/playdough-offers-endless-opportunities-for-sensory-exploration/

National Museum of Play “Play dough inducted toy in the National Museum of play.” https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/the-history-of-play-doh-good-clean-fun/