This tip is actually from a friend of mine who has 7 kids. I was telling her how much I despise playdough, and how I hardly ever got it out for my kids because I couldn’t stand the mess. She had the easiest solution: only let the kids play with it outside.
We have done this quite a few times lately. I discovered that when all it takes is a couple swipes with a broom to clean up, I like playdough just fine.
Playdough outside on the picnic table instead of ground into my carpet or tracked through my house: Works for Me!
I'm Mary, wife to John, and mom to 10 kids ages 3-20. Six of them were adopted, from Ethiopia and Korea. I spend my days applying Bandaids, reminding kids to use their inside voices, persuading kids fractions are useful, cooking spicy ethnic food, and snapping gig after gig of pictures. Very late at night, I write about it all.
My friend lets her daughter do playdoh on the kitchen floor (tile) instead of the table. When it dries out, she just sweeps it up.
Sometimes the best tips are the simplest. THANKS!
Ah, this is timely. I just blogged today about how much I love playdough, since it’s so easy to make and both my one year old and my (almost) three year old enjoy it. But oh my, the mess!
peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell
We love playdough here as well! This is a great idea…now that the weather is warmer I may try it.
We use a mat at our house for playdo. One of those laminated cheapie ones works well to keep tables clean. It still gets all over the floor but a broom takes care of it fairly quickly.
I do this, too. Somehow it is still a big mess (playdough in the hair outside = playdough in the hair inside), but much more manageable than inside.
Nice! In the warm months I have my kiddos eat outside to cut down on the mess. That is a great idea……Messes outside are so much easier to deal with and the kids still get to have thier fun.
Thanks
I’m not a fan of playdough in the house, either. It never occurred to me to take it outside. I’ll have to try that!
Great idea! My son only recently discovered the joys of play doh, and I’ve already begun bemoaning the mess that it makes. Looks like he’ll be playing on the deck from now on…
That is a wonderful idea… why didn’t I think of that??
What a great idea…. I totaly hate pulling out the playdoh too because of the mess. At Christmas, #3 got a huge container of playdoh cookie cutters and 24 containers of playdoh that we have only played with maybe 2 times. I am most certainly going to do this too. Thanks for the tip. Alecia
yes, good tip. i just threw a container out yesterday b/c i couldn’t stand to see blue play-doh in carpet for one more day!
We do playdoh inside, but we also have wood floors though most of our house! BUT one thing I did get is one of those cheap plastic clear tablecloths. The kids do anything messy ON the tablecloth – markers, play-doh, anything! It’s good!
Happy Day!
Thank you! My children thank you. I thank you. My kitchen floor thanks you!
What an excellent idea.
I discovered the “dislike” of play-doh long ago and this is a great idea. I’ve also spread a plastic tablecloth on the floor and let them go at it when younger…pick it up, take it outside and shake it off.
Playdough OUTSIDE! This had never occured to me! Genius!
oooooooooooo, great idea!!!!!!
Fantastic idea! I think I’ll have to steal that one.
I did the same thing with finger paint when my boys were young. They had a plastic picnic table and I could wash it off with the hose when they were done.
Well, I don’t have as many kiddos as you, but we only do play-doh at table time…..so that makes for easy clean up! : ) We always use those plastic table mats (I think they are supposed to be for food), but they work great for keeping play-doh and colors off the table!!! : )