Pasta shapes and a foolproof play dough recipe are two crafting essentials we just couldn’t get enough of as kids and we wanted to introduce our own little ones to the joys of simple pleasures – which is why we came up with this fun activity to help toddlers strengthen their fine motor skills.
All you’ll need is, surprisingly, a lot of play dough, some pipe cleaners, a few pasta shapes and some colourful paint to make these creative 'bridges'. Once you’ve made a big batch of our basic play dough you can colour it any way you like. We like bright, primary colours for this one as they’ll appeal to younger children.
If you keep a few sealable boxes to hand, or some tuppawears, then you’ll be able to reuse your play dough and pasta shapes again, and again. Simply store, save and create the next time your brood is feeling crafty.
If you’ve had a go at this or one of our other simple kids’ crafts then let us know on our Facebook page. We love seeing what you’ve been up to and often share your pictures with other readers, too.
You will need
- Dry pasta tubes
- Zip seal freezer bags
- White vinegar
- Food colouring
- Glitter
- Cooling rack
- Coloured play dough
- Pipe cleaners
Step 1
Place a handful of dry pasta tubes in a bag. Pour a little white vinegar into the bag, then add some drops of food colouring. Add some glitter if desired, then seal the bag and shake to coat every tube. Leave for an hour, then shake again, then leave for another hour. Remove the pasta and allow to dry on a cooling rack.
Step 2
Make some different coloured play dough following the basic recipe. Mould into balls.
Step 3
Thread some dyed pasta onto a pipe cleaner, then press each end into a ball of play dough to create a rainbow Craft: Suzie Attaway
