MSU Extension Child & Family Development

Preschool Activity Pages

Play Dough Letters

Materials

• Play dough or any dough/putty (Many great recipes are available online)
• Paper
• Markers or crayons

Area of School Readiness

Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development: According to the Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, perceptual, motor, and physical development includes motor development and health, safety and nutrition. This includes gross motor or large motor skills (like jumping, running, climbing) as well as fine motor or small muscle skills (like holding a fork or buttoning a coat). Health, safety, and nutrition includes skills for self-care (like brushing teeth), knowledge promoting healthy eating habits, and personal safety routines.

Language and Literacy: According to the Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, language and literacy involves the communication skills that children need to engage with other people and to learn. This includes receptive language or being able to listen and understand, expressive language, being able to communicate and skill for emerging literacy or being able to read and write.

Purpose of the Activity

Fine Motor Skills: Your child will practice using the small muscles in their hands and fingers as they play with and make letters out of their dough.

Print and Alphabet Knowledge: Your child will practice recognizing and identifying letters and using letter sounds.

Instructions

1. Gather supplies. Make play dough if necessary.
2. Write capital and lowercase letters on paper (capital- A, B, C, or lowercase a, b, c, d, …).
3. Demonstrate making “snakes” from dough.
4. Shape dough into letters, using the letters you wrote on papers as a guide.
5. Help your child continue to play with the play dough to make lots of different letters.
6. Store dough in an airtight container or baggie.