Planning lessons for back-to-school time is a BIG undertaking! This busy time of year calls for simple, yet engaging activities. Are you looking for some fresh, new ideas to keep your littles motivated in speech sessions this year? Today I am sharing 3 of my favorite no-cook dough recipes that are perfect for getting back in the swing of things. Try these fun recipes out in your classroom or speech sessions during the back to school season or any time of the year for simple and effective hands-on learning!
Benefits of No-Cook Dough Recipes
Cooking with young students can feel intimidating at times, but I promise it doesn't have to be! This is especially true if you use one of my "no-cook" recipes that don't even require a heat source. I love these recipes because they are a great way to include "cooking" in your lesson planning if you don't have access to a microwave or stove.
No-cook dough recipes are a great way to work on a variety of targeted skills in your speech sessions as well.
My recipes all utilize a "Visual Recipe Card", which includes kid-friendly pictures and step-by-step directions. Easily target vocabulary, expanding utterances, following directions, prepositions, and more with no-cook dough recipes. Be sure to check out this post detailing ALL the benefits of cooking with kids.
Best of all though, no-cook dough recipes will provide for incredibly high student engagement! Most children LOVE play dough, so learning how to make it will automatically grab their attention. Plus, they get the added benefit of molding and creating with their dough after it's all mixed up. These recipes are great for back-to-school time or any time of year really. It's always a good day for visual recipes and play dough activities!
1. Basic No-Cook Play Dough
This recipe is my original, go-to, multipurpose dough recipe. Having this one in your arsenal is essential! I wrote a whole post all about this dough and the fun ways to use it in your classroom or speech sessions. I love this basic play dough recipe because it uses only a few simple ingredients and requires no actual cooking! To get started, you'll need:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
That's it! Just mix your ingredients together and you'll have a fantastic "cooking activity" to engage your littles. If you're looking to get fancy, you can certainly jazz this recipe up a bit more with the addition of food coloring, glitter, and even a drop of essential oil for scented playdough. A few simple additions will make this basic dough recipe fit any season, holiday, or theme!
If you want to try this recipe out, be sure to grab the full activity guide for free! This freebie includes my signature visual recipe card, vocabulary cards, and comprehension questions to help elevate your activity. You'll also find a list of activity ideas to try out with your no-cook play dough. Take your time with this activity to fully reap the benefits of visual recipe cards. The activity guide is designed to promote speech and language development as you move through each step!
2. Green Apple No-Cook Dough
Looking for something to fit an apple theme? I have just the thing! This Green Apple Dough is also a no-cook recipe and the perfect variation for back-to-school time. This visual recipe uses the same basic dough formula with the addition of green apple jello mix. I use the "Jolly Rancher" brand of green apple jello and it gives this no-cook dough a super festive color and scent!
Adding scents and colors to your playdough is a great way to elevate the sensory experience of this activity.
Doing so will allow for more opportunities for conversation in your speech therapy groups and bring student engagement even higher.
Ask children questions about what they see and smell as you make the playdough and then extend the activity with comprehension questions before moving on to playing with the dough.
This activity is a simple way to fully engage young students in learning as you target specific skills like vocabulary, basic concepts, prepositions, "WH" questions, and more.
No cook dough recipes are fun, but also highly effective! This activity is available to you as a freebie as well- Grab the full resource to get started making Green Apple Dough with your kiddos!
3. Pumpkin Pie No-Cook Dough
Finally, if you're looking for something with a bit of a "fall feel", this visual recipe will do the trick! Pumpkin Play Dough follows the same general recipe as the other two no-cook dough variations, but we add pumpkin pie spice and food coloring. This recipe can be found in my Cooking and Craft Visual Recipes Resource, which is filled to the brim with 50 seasonal recipes.
Aside from dough recipes, you will find simple sweet treats and other fun foods that children will love. This resource is great for speech sessions, early education classrooms, and even home use if you have littles of your own! The seasonal flair of the recipes will add some magic to your day and excite young learners to participate.
Once you mix up your pumpkin pie dough, there are SO many things you can do with it!
Use the dough to practice basic fine motor skills by providing kiddos with rolling pins and cookie cutters.
Or have your students roll the dough into "snakes" and then form letters. Or, try my favorite way to use this dough and have children roll it into "pumpkins" and work on counting!
The possibilities are endless with this one and the heavenly smell of pumpkin spice is sure to make you and your kiddos smile!
Be sure to check out the full recipe, vocabulary cards, and comprehension questions in my Cooking and Craft Visual Recipes Resource! Don't forget to grab those freebies too and have fun "cooking" with your kiddos!
Save These Back to School Play Dough Recipes!
Don't forget to save these no cook play dough recipes to your favorite classroom Pinterest board for quick and easy access when you're ready to try No-Cook Dough with your kiddos!
