Autumn is a season when children naturally start spending more time indoors as the weather grows colder and makes playing outside less enjoyable. Whipping up a batch of pumpkin spice playdough is a perfect ways to keep them entertained, and off screens!
Whether you’re celebrating the harvest, or looking for a festive Samhain or Halloween activity, pumpkin spice playdough is a perfect way to celebrate autumn and keep little ones busy while they’re cooped up indoors.
The Benefits of Playing with Playdough
Playing with playdough is a classic childhood activity. Kids are naturally drawn to its soft, squishy texture and the endless possibilities it provides for expressing their creativity. But, beyond just being for fun children, playing with playdough also has many developmental benefits.
Strengthens Fine Motor Skills
Manipulating the dough helps strengthen fine motor skills as children pinch, roll, flatten, and shape it. These movements build the small muscles in their hands and fingers that they use for writing, drawing, and other daily tasks.
Engages the Senses
Playdough is also a rich sensory experience. Feeling the dough, smelling the scent of pumpkin spice, and seeing their creations come to life engages multiple senses at once. This hands-on exploration helps improve focus, imagination, and creativity.
Helps Explore Early Math & Literacy Concepts
Measuring ingredients to make the dough helps little ones practice counting and learn about volume. Kids can roll long “snakes” of dough and use them to form letters or numbers, allowing them to develop pre-writing skills in a fun, kinesthetic way. And while they work, they often like to talk about what they’re making, expanding vocabulary and practicing communication skills.
Calms & Relaxes
Beyond skill-building, playing with playdough has a calming and therapeutic effect. The simple act of kneading, pressing, and rolling dough can help children (and adults!) slow down and turn their focus to a creative task. It’s a gentle way to transition from high-energy play to calmer activities, making it ideal for a cozy autumn afternoons at home.
Making Pumpkin Spice Playdough
This playdough is easy to make at home with simple, non-toxic ingredients that are safe for kids. Adding pumpkin spice gives it a seasonal twist, transforming it into a sensory experience that infuses the dough with a quintessential scent of autumn.
We use whole spices rather than essential oils to ensure this dough is extra safe for little ones. Kitchen spices, like cinnamon and clove, are gentle and non-toxic, adding a natural scent without the potency or potential skin irritation that essential oils can cause.
To make your own pumpkin spice play dough, you will need:
- All-purpose flour
- Cream of tartar
- Salt
- Paprika
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Water
- Vegetable oil or sunflower oil
- Arrowroot powder
Directions:
Combine the flour, cream of tartar, salt, and paprika in a bowl.
Add the water and vegetable oil to a small pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and pour in the dry ingredient, stirring rapidly until the dough comes together.
Turn out the dough on a clean counter top that has been sprinkled with arrowroot powder and knead together.
Store in a airtight container. Keeping the playdough in the refrigerator can help to extend its shelf life.
Pumpkin Spice Playdough
Materials
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup salt
- 3 tsp paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp vegetable oil or sunflower oil
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
Instructions
- Combine the flour, cream of tartar, salt, and paprika in a bowl.
- Add the water and vegetable oil to a small pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and pour in the dry ingredient, stirring rapidly until the dough comes together.
- Turn it out on a clean counter top that has been sprinkled with arrowroot powder and knead together.
- Store in a airtight container. Keeping the playdough in the refrigerator can help to extend its shelf life.
Homemade Pumpkin Spice
Making your own pumpkin spice is optional, but it’s a fun way to bring an extra touch of autumn magic to your playdough. Mixing your own blend is a fun activity for kids to help with, and it makes the dough truly homemade.
To make it you will need:
- Cinnamon powder
- Ginger powder
- Nutmeg powder
- Clove powder
- Allspice powder
Directions:
Mix all the spices together in a small jar.
Store the remainder in an airtight jar for future use.
How to Use Your Pumpkin Spice Blend
There are lots of ways you can use your homemade pumpkin spice beyond playdough! This warming, aromatic blend can be added to oatmeal, coffee, muffins, cookies, or even a pumpkin spice martini for a cozy taste of autumn. You can also use it in DIY body care. Adding a little to a homemade sugar scrub gives your fall self-care rituals an extra special touch.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix all the spices together in a small jar.
- Store the remainder in an airtight jar for future use.
Creative Ideas for Playing with Pumpkin Spice Playdough
Once you have made your pumpkin spice playdough, the possibilities are endless. Kids are wonderfully imaginative, so open-ended play is always a wonderful option, but here are a few simple ideas for more structured activities:
- Leaf Impressions: Press leaves into the dough to capture their shapes and intricate patterns.
- Mini Pumpkins: Roll balls and pinch them into tiny pumpkin shapes.
- Counting and Sorting: If age appropriate, add acorns, beads, or buttons to practice numbers, patterns, and sorting skills.
- Storytelling: Encourage children to create characters or scenes, fostering imaginative play.
- Letter and Number Formation: Roll out “snakes” of dough and shape them into letters or numbers to practice pre-writing skills.
