ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
Last week’s international tutorial explored the medium of playdough as a tool for teaching young children.
The lesson began with a presentation on the experiences with playdoughteachers can use to advance social and emotional development, language acquisition, literacy, numeracy, science and fine motor skills.
Then it was time for some hands-on experimenting with playdough. Mixing together flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil and food colouring, the students kneaded the dough into a good consistency for moulding. As they shaped the dough into different characters, they discussed stories they could tell, and described the vocabulary they could introduce to children such askneading, rolling, punching, squeezing and flattening.
“I wanted to show how playdough can be used to teach various curriculum areas, as opposed to just putting it on a table on the side,” says lecturer Thecla Moffat.“The students’ feedback was very positive; their eyes were really opened to all the learning opportunities.”
Our NZTC Playdough Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups of flour
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
3 tablespoons of cream of tartar
1½ cups of salt
Food colouring
3 cups of boiling water
Method
Mix all ingredients together then add boiling water. Stir well. Once cool, knead until a pliable dough is formed.
- For more information on studying one of our specialist early childhood programs please call us on (09) 520 4000 or email international@nztertiarycollege.ac.nz.
Last week’s international tutorial explored the medium of playdough as a tool for teaching young children. The lesson began with a presentation on the experiences with playdoughteachers can use to advance social and emotional development, language acquisition, literacy, numeracy, science and fine...
Last week’s international tutorial explored the medium of playdough as a tool for teaching young children.
The lesson began with a presentation on the experiences with playdoughteachers can use to advance social and emotional development, language acquisition, literacy, numeracy, science and fine motor skills.
Then it was time for some hands-on experimenting with playdough. Mixing together flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil and food colouring, the students kneaded the dough into a good consistency for moulding. As they shaped the dough into different characters, they discussed stories they could tell, and described the vocabulary they could introduce to children such askneading, rolling, punching, squeezing and flattening.
“I wanted to show how playdough can be used to teach various curriculum areas, as opposed to just putting it on a table on the side,” says lecturer Thecla Moffat.“The students’ feedback was very positive; their eyes were really opened to all the learning opportunities.”
Our NZTC Playdough Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups of flour
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
3 tablespoons of cream of tartar
1½ cups of salt
Food colouring
3 cups of boiling water
Method
Mix all ingredients together then add boiling water. Stir well. Once cool, knead until a pliable dough is formed.
- For more information on studying one of our specialist early childhood programs please call us on (09) 520 4000 or email international@nztertiarycollege.ac.nz.
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