Developing fine motor skills: our classroom playdough recipe

Playing with playdough has many benefits for young children. It is not only great for fine motor development, but it is also great for coordination development as well as an excellent sensory experience.

Playing with playdough helps strengthen fine motor skills. All that rolling, squeezing, pinching and patting is great for little hands and fingers. Manipulating dough helps build muscle control, strengthening hand muscles and control over finger movement. Playdough can be easily snipped with scissors to help grow future scissor skills. Manipulating and building with it can also build the strength and skill needed for holding a pencil and writing.

We make our own play dough for our classroom and have a rotating station in our classes frequently. Not only is it a basic skill builder but it is so much fun for the children!

Here is our classroom recipe, you can make it for for your preschooler and continue the learning experience at home!

Download free printable recipe here

Upcycling: Recyclable supplies we collect all through the year

At Suburban we believe in the importance of your child’s creativity. Our teacher leads the class through guided arts and crafts daily. These projects go along with the daily lesson plan and theme. Arts and crafts help your child develop fine motor skills needed to move forward in their education. We also have free paint on easels open daily, led by our helping parent of the day, during free play time. At times you will be requested to bring in items from home to upcycle and use as supplies for our projects.

Common items we can use throughout the year are:
orange juice cartons (rinsed)
newspapers
magazines
empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls
Pringles can lids (rinsed)
Cool Whip lids (rinsed)
Empty 2 liter bottles (rinsed)
egg cartons

Thankful for you!

Now is the time of year we come together with family and friends to give thanks. We at Suburban Cooperative Nursery School would like to say thank you to the Staff, Board Members, and parents who have given of their time to keep our school going. Many generations of families have made our school what it is today. We thank you all for your help, hard work, and support! Happy Thanksgiving to our Suburban family past and present! We appreciate you.