Parents will often ask me, what can I do with my child at home?  This might be in conjunction with an office-based vision therapy program or to enhance the skills of a child experiencing developmental delays.  I started a Pinterest board with links to all sorts of fun activities to give moms and dads ideas for inexpensive ways to play with their children.  I thought it might be fun to explore some of those activities.  None of these activities will use apps or iPads or video….. perfect for Throw Back Thursdays!

I love play dough.  When my kids were growing up, we played with play dough ALOT! probably because I loved it as much if not more than they did.  Play dough is a wonderful activity for children.  It builds eye-hand coordination… bilateral coordination…..imagination and visualization.

Play dough is inexpensive because you can make it at home!  Here is a collection of recipes.  You can buy Play-Doh brand toys or you can open your kitchen junk drawer and get started.  I would cover the kitchen table with a giant piece of clear plastic and take out a shoebox  with a collection of play dough accessories:  cookie cutters, little rolling pins, kiddie scissors, toy firemen (instead of soldiers), legos,  and whatever else we could think of.  Here is a list of 75 add-ons to make play dough more fun.

Make some play dough, then turn off the TV and get creative. If you plan to do this in the kitchen, be sure you have already made dinner because your kids won’t want to stop!

Photo “Foot in Play Dough Land” by Don LaVange via Flickr