Play dough kits can be such a great way to get creative across different age groups. Here are some spooktacular Halloween DIY play dough kit ideas which will spark creative play and sensory exploration for littles and bigs alike.
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Play dough kits are one of our favorite ways to share creative play. The dough can be made relatively cheaply, and materials can easily be found to suit the theme of the box. I am helping to organize a Fall Family Fun Day at my daughter's pre-school, as well as running some creative play sessions for Halloween with Kindergartners at our local Elementary School. Hence I needed to make a few different styles of kits to suit different ages.
For context purposes, the idea is that two or three kids will share a kit. They will work on trays and be able to share their creative ideas. The kits are stored in IKEA GLIS boxes, costing $3.99 each. All play dough was made using my favorite recipe by Mama Papa Bubba, with simple color variations and the addition of glitter for some boxes.
Kit Ideas for Pre-Schoolers
When it comes to Halloween and pre-schoolers, it isn't the best idea to make things too spooky. Instead I opted for themed boxes, with fairies, dinosaurs, pirates and astronauts.
Dinosaurs - this kit includes Safari Ltd. dinosaurs and trees, rocks, and some small wood pieces I found at the Dollar Tree. I included some green, red and glittery brown play dough, perfect for making prehistoric landscapes and volcanoes.
Astronauts - this space-themed kit has so many fun sensory elements. I included Safari Ltd. Space Toobs, black glass pebbles and white rocks from Dollar Tree, tin foil asteroids, crayon marbled rocks (read the how to blog here), and a fun selection of play dough.
Pirates - this pirate play dough kit is always a hit! I included Safari Ltd. Pirates, blue glass pebbles from Dollar Tree, and gold beads, coins and eyepatches from Party City. I made blue and yellow play dough, as well as making some special sand play dough, again following a Mama Papa Bubba recipe. The added texture is great for little hands to explore!
Fairies - this one will definitely impress princess and fairy loving kids! Included are Safari Ltd. Flower Toob and Fairy Fantasies Designer Toob, pink, clear and white glass pebbles from Michaels, and sparkly pink, purple and white play dough. So much magical fun!
These kits are a great way to celebrate Halloween without worrying about younger kids feeling scared. The small toys included are inviting and encourage plenty of imaginative play. If, however, you don't want to invest in lots of small toys, you can also make a fun spider themed kit like the one below! This kits is particularly great for fine motor skill development.
Kit Ideas for Elementary Kids
Older kids will most definitely be more into the creepy side of Halloween, so for these kits there is more of a focus on fun Halloween accessories. You can definitely also still get away with the spider themed kit too!
Witches - for this kit full of hocus pocus I made vibrant green play dough, as well as some sparkly light brown and grey. In the box I also included witch fingers and rats from Party City (excellent for mark making in the dough), green and black glass pebbles and eyeballs from Dollar Tree, and some fun witch-themed cookie cutters from Walmart.
Skeletons - green, orange and purple play dough teamed up with plastic skeletons, bones and skulls from Party City, as well as skull erasers and bouncy eyeballs from Target. This is a fun one for making prints and recreating skeletons with loose parts.
Graveyard - this was my 6 year old's absolute favorite! I made white, sparkly white and gray play dough and added bones and skulls from Party City, as well as mini popsicle sticks and cookie cutters from Walmart. He had a blast making his own graveyard which he thought was super spooky.
Characters - this one is a bit of a 'left overs' creation but kids will still enjoy it. I added red and green play dough to the kit, along with mini Halloween characters and rats from Party City, glow in the dark witch fingers from Target, and some eyeballs from Dollar Tree.
I can't wait to share these kits with all the kids. It always impresses me how creative they are with play dough and loose parts! You'll notice that apart from some cookie cutters I didn't include any tools in the boxes. I find that this can encourage kids to be more hands on with the play dough and avoids them waiting all the time to use the tools. Using their hands to manipulate the dough is great for sensory confidence, and fine motor development. It's also beneficial to offer choice so that the kids can follow their interests. This really helps with engagement levels.
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