Playdough and Cookie Cutter Prints

Playdough (homemade or store-bought)

Rolling pin or a water bottle

Cookie cutters in various shapes

Washable paint in 3-4 colors

Paper plates for paint

Large paper

Give your toddler a large ball of playdough and a rolling pin or water bottle for flattening.

Help them roll the dough flat to about half an inch thick. Model the rolling motion — push forward, pull back.

Press cookie cutters into the dough firmly. Stars, hearts, circles, and animals all work. Wiggle the cutter slightly to get a clean cut.

Peel away the excess dough around each shape to reveal the clean cut-outs.

Pour a thin layer of washable paint onto a paper plate. Press a dough shape into the paint, coating one flat side.

Stamp the paint-covered shape onto paper and press down firmly. Lift straight up for a clean print.

Repeat with different shapes and colors. Overlapping prints and mixed colors make the art more interesting.

Use firm playdough for the best stamps. If your dough is too soft, it will distort when you press it into the paint.

Metal cookie cutters cut cleaner than plastic ones, but plastic cutters are safer for toddler hands.

The dough stamps are reusable. Wipe the paint off, reshape if needed, and stamp again.

This activity combines sculpting with printmaking — two art disciplines in one session.

Name the shapes as your toddler works with them. By the end of the session, they will have had dozens of repetitions hearing shape words.