Sculpt and Build at the Library!

You’re never too little to learn! Did you know that exploring with playdough, clay and other building materials is great for your child’s early learning and development? These activities strengthen the small muscles in our hands used for writing and building dexterity and control that help with everyday tasks like manipulating scissors or working zippers and buttons. Creating also encourages children to use their imaginations and explore self-expression, self-confidence, and communication as they share more about their work. Manipulating dough or clay into familiar letters, shapes or numbers reinforces these important concepts by making learning a multi-sensory experience. Plano Public Library offers a variety of exploration programs for little learners. Keep reading to find out about upcoming playdough and clay programs happening at the library this spring. 

Playdough Playdate (Ages 2 to 5 years) 

Explore the benefits of playing with playdough. Learn early literacy skills and have fun creating. During this exploration program, explore playdough and creation with familiar concepts and free play. Free tickets are available 30 minutes before the program starts. 

Upcoming sessions: 

Wednesday, March 15 at 6:30pm at Davis Library 

Thursday, March 16 at 10:30am at Davis Library 

Messy Play with Clay 

Explore the benefits of messy play with clay while creating art with your child. During this exploration program, use clay to explore textures, building and creativity. Free tickets are available 30 minutes before the program starts. 

Upcoming sessions: 

Thursday, April 27 at 10:30am at Davis Library 

Want to enjoy building and creating at home? Check out these titles from the library’s collection: 

For Kids 

Gray Rabbit’s 1, 2, 3 by Alan Baker Print 

Gray Rabbit finds some clay and makes different kinds of animals, from one wiggly worm to ten scurrying mice. 

¿Qué puedo hacer con arcilla? = What Can I Make with Clay? by Kaylee Gilmore Print 

A family’s plans to visit the zoo are ruined when it begins to rain. After finding some clay, the family spends the day making their own zoo full of their favorite animals. 

Claymates by Dev Petty Print 

Two balls of clay have a great time shaping themselves into various animals and objects until their sculptor comes back and discovers the mess they’ve made of her work. 

For Grownups 

Make Your Own Playdough, Paint, and Other Craft Materials: Easy Recipes to Use with Young Children by Patricia Caskey Print 

Provides recipes and instructions for creating clay, paint, glue, playdough, bubbles, and other craft materials. 

101 Kids Activities That Are the Ooey Gooey-Est Ever!: Nonstop Fun with DIY Slimes, Doughs, and Moldables by Jamie Harrington Print | eBook 

Let your creativity and imagination soar with these colorful, crazy-fun recipes for slime, dough, clay, foam, mud and more. Whether it’s a slime, a dough or some other moldable creation, you’ll be able to create and become whatever your imagination dreams up! 

Clay Lab for Kids: 52 Projects to Make, Model, and Mold with Air-Dry, Polymer, and Homemade Clay by Cassie Stephens Print 

Start with the basics of rolling, coiling, and pinching pots, and move up to making “Jurassic fossils,” animal marionettes, monster magnets, and boxes with secret compartments. Plus, there’s an entire chapter of recipes for mixing up inexpensive homemade clays in the kitchen. 

Recipes for Play: Creative Activities for Small Hands and Big Imaginations by Rachel Sumner Print 

An important part of childhood is being curious about and trying out new experiences. What do things taste, feel, smell, sound like? What happens when you add red to blue, mix earth with water, or drop a blob of paint from a great height? Contains easy and inexpensive ideas for engaging your child’s senses.