Is summer even summer without playdough? I don’t think I will ever know! Every summer, we seem to dive into playdough activities, so this year, I thought we could freshen our ideas.

And since I have a blog and all, I thought you should freshen your ideas as well! Pretty forward of me, assuming your summer playdough activities need some freshening. I have gotten bolder and bolder as this blog gets older. It’s over 10 years old now… Imagine where we will be when it is 20!

Well, actually, the way the internet and technology are going, I will likely be holographic. Oh, heaven help you then!

Okay, that took a weird turn. Back to summer playdough activities for kids. 

Just before we get started, I have some super cute FREE Printable Summer Playdough Mats for you! Your child can get creative making some delicious ice cream out of playdough, decorating butterfly wings, making playdough flowers for their garden, and more! Get yours right here:

Fun Summer Playdough Activities for Kids

Dirt Playdough – It’s amazing how you can rekindle complete love for an activity just by changing one little thing–like adding dirt to playdough! This activity was a hit with both my toddler and my older children, PERFECT for a bit of summertime fun!

Lavender No-Cook Homemade Playdough: A Soothing Sensory Play Experience – Lavender is best known for its relaxing, soothing properties—people use it in potpourri, essential oils, creams, laundry detergent… and also in no-cook homemade playdough!

Playdough is for the Birds! Playdough Bird Craft for Kids – Creating your own playdough bird nests is a wonderful summer activity! Gather some sticks, leaves, berries, pine cone pieces, grass, or whatever else your little one finds and use it to build your very own bird nest.

Playdough Road Construction – Whip up a batch of no-cook playdough, add a few diggers, and voila! A playdough road in need of some serious repair. Again and again and again. 

Ocean Playdough and Loose Parts by The Imagination Tree – Sparkly playdough, along with some shells, gems, and other beach-themed loose parts, makes for a wonderful summery sensory activity.

Summer Theme Play Dough by Learning 4 Kids – This playdough setup is a fun summery invitation to play! With scented playdough, little umbrellas, and tiny cocktail picks, your little one can create and serve some summery, pretend-play drinks.

Ice Cream Play Dough Tray by Engaging Littles – For this activity, all you need are a few little bowls, playdough, and a bunch of little loose parts like pompoms, beads, cut-up straws, and some spoons. Little ones will love making their fun and colorful sundaes!

Playdough Flowers Counting Activity by Messy Little Monster – This activity is wonderful for adding in a bit of summertime learning. Little ones will practice fine motor skills as they roll and shape their flowers, then they will practice numeracy skills as they count and add the right number of petals to their flowers—AND they’ll have fun doing it. Win-win-win!

Scented Kool Aid Watermelon Playdough by 123 Homeschool 4 Me – This playdough recipe uses Kool-Aid to give the playdough a wonderful summery scent! Little ones can also use some little black beans to add “seeds” to their watermelon, practicing fine motor skills (and maybe some counting as you pop those seeds in, too!).

Sunflower STEAM Activity with Homemade Playdough by STEAM Powered Family – This activity breaks down the process of making playdough into a wonderful STEAM learning experience for older children—mixtures, solutions, and substances, oh my! And little ones will love using seeds and pipecleaners to make some playdough sunflowers.

Ice Cream Shop with Edible Playdoh by Life on Lavender – I already included one playdough ice cream activity, but I HAD to include this one too, because… it is edible! This “playdough” is actually made from frosting, powdered sugar, and a bit of food coloring. It is SUPER sweet, so children likely won’t want to very much of it, but it is wonderful for little ones who are still putting things in their mouth.

Scented Lemonade Playdough by Preschool Play & Learn – Nothing says summer more than freshly squeezed lemonade! Or the smell of freshly squeezed lemonade. Whip up a batch of playdough and add in some lemonade Kool-Aid mix, along with some yellow food coloring, and you’re set for a summery sensory experience.

Well, there you have it: 12 fun, summer-themed playdough activities for kids! I hope you and your little ones have a magical time making and playing together this summer.

If you’re looking for more summertime memory-making experiences, then you’ll want to check out Summer Camp at Home!

Summer Camp at Home is my 6-week nature and learning-filled summer camp that takes place with you at home! Every day has a short story and a hands-on activity to enjoy together (plus bonus poems, games, beautiful printables, suggested books, and so much more).

Whether you go with the Little Kid or Big Kid Edition—or both!—you’re going to love how easy it is to give your child a magical summer.

Thank you for reading, sweet friend!

xo
Sarah