Recommended Age: 3 years and onwards
Purpose: for the child to be involved in the creative process of making salt dough
Level of Parent Involvement: Medium, the adult must help the child to make the dough and use the oven
Prerequisites
- None
Materials
- 1 cup of flour
- ½ cup of salt
- ½ cup of warm water
- Food colouring (optional)
- Spoon
- A medium sized bowl
- Measuring cups
- A rolling pin
- Baking paper
- Placemat
Preparation
- Prepare the above ingredients in their respective measuring cups
- Set up the materials at the child’s table or appropriate work space
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
- Invite the child letting them know that you will be making salt dough handprints with them
- Take the child to the prepared work space
- Name each of the materials (flour, water, salt, bowl, spoon, food colouring, rolling pin etc)
- Show the child the bowl, invite the child to tip the flour into the bowl
- The child may now tip in the salt
- Invite the child to mix the dry ingredients with the spoon or they may use their hands
- The child may now pour the water into the bowl
- Invite the child to choose which colour food colouring they would like to use
- Place a couple of drops of the food colouring into the water in the bowl
- Combine all ingredients with the spoon
- Remove the mixture from the bowl and place it onto the table
- Let the child know that the salt dough now must be kneaded
- Demonstrate how to knead the dough using your knuckles to manipulate the dough, turning the dough and kneading
- Invite the child to knead the dough (the dough must be kneaded for 7-10 minutes or until smooth
- Sprinkle some flour onto the surface of the table
- Using the rolling pin, roll out the dough to the desired thickness (around ½ an inch is ideal)
- Invite the child to have a turn using the rolling pin
- Once the dough has been rolled, the child may place their hand in the middle, pressing down to make a hand print
- Go with the child to the oven, place the salt dough in, bake for 3 hours (alternatively you can leave the salt dough for 2-3 days to harden)
- The child may now bring the dishes to the sink to wash and dry (providing assistance/supervision if necessary)
- When the salt dough hand print is ready, allow to cool
- The child may paint or decorate the hand print
Variations
Using cookie cutters to make salt dough ornaments/shapes
