If you could only keep one toy in your house what would it be?

Without hesitation my choice is Play-Doh! Aside from building dexterity and providing an opportunity for brain development it is also fun for adults to squish, poke and roll as a form of creative stress relief. This is my favorite way to include open ended play in our routine.

You should try staging themed play-doh play sessions like the one pictured above. We are really into mermaids but you could choose anything and run with it. Making your own play-doh is super easy!

I filled egg crates with sequins, beads, googly eyes and bits of string and placed them alongside 2 big balls of Play-doh. I made 2 mermaid paper cut-outs using fancy card stock and construction paper. Including a craft in the preparation like making paper mermaids helps keep me motivated and excited to see Stevie and Celeste’s reaction. If you are having trouble deciding on a theme for you play session try one based on your kids favorite book. We love 3 Little Mermaids and Good Night Mermaids.