A basket with a handleNo tools. Coil a flat base, stack two rings on it for the wall and arch one snake over the top.
A beehive coiled into a dome, with a doorwayA pencil. Coil one long snake up into a dome and poke a door near the bottom with the blunt end.
A bracelet that fits your wristNo tools. Roll a snake long enough to go round your wrist, join the ends and press small balls on.
A caterpillar of six balls with spaghetti feelersDry spaghetti. Roll six balls, press them in a line and push two short pieces into the first one.
A nest of thin strands with three eggsA garlic press. Squeeze out strands, pile them in a ring and roll three small balls to sit inside.
A pot built from stacked ringsNo tools. Roll five snakes, join each into a ring and stack them on a flat base.
A railway trackA butter knife. Lay two long snakes side by side and cut short pieces to lay across them.
A rainbow of bent snakesNo tools. Roll one snake of each color and bend them over each other, the longest on the outside.
A snail: one long snake rolled up, a short one for the headNo tools. Roll a snake as long as your hand, coil it flat and stand a small snake at one end.
A snake with scales pressed along its backA fork. Roll one fat snake, flatten the head and press the fork along the back.
A striped rope twisted from two colorsNo tools. Roll two thin snakes, lay them side by side, twist them together and roll smooth.
Your name in snakesA butter knife. Roll thin snakes, cut them to length and bend them into the letters.
Press and print 12
A brick wall printed with the end of a toy blockA toy block. Press its end into a slab in rows, each row starting half a block along.
A flower printed with the end of a whiskA whisk. Press the round end straight down for the petals and poke the middle with a fingertip.
A fossil: a shell pressed in and lifted outA shell. Flatten a ball with your palm, push the shell in and lift it straight up.
A handprint to measure against a grown-up'sNo tools. Flatten a slab bigger than your hand, press the hand in with fingers spread, and lift.
A honeycomb of straw-end circlesA drinking straw. Press the end in again and again, each ring touching the ones beside it.
A lace pattern lifted from a paper doilyA rolling pin. Lay a paper doily on a slab, roll over it once and peel it off.
A leaf print with every vein showingA rolling pin. Roll a slab, lay a leaf on it vein side down, roll once more and peel the leaf off.
A plowed field of fork linesA fork. Roll a slab and drag the fork across it in rows, then across the other way for a grid.
A waffle printed in one pushA potato masher. Flatten a thick slab and press the masher straight down once.
Rows of bottle-cap ringsA bottle cap. Roll a slab and press the cap in rows, each ring just touching the last.
The sole of a shoeA clean shoe. Roll a thick slab on the mat and press the sole in. Someone else guesses whose it is.
Waves combed across a blue slabA wide comb. Drag it across the slab in wobbly lines and set a small folded boat on top.
Faces and creatures 12
A dinosaur with plates along its backNo tools. Roll a fat snake, pull out four legs and pinch a row of points down the back.
A face that shows how you feel todayNo tools. Flatten a ball, press two eyes and lay a thin snake for the mouth: up, down or wobbly.
A fish with spoon-tip scalesA teaspoon. Flatten an oval, pinch one end into a tail and press the spoon tip in rows.
A funny face with spaghetti hairDry spaghetti. Flatten a ball, press two eyes with a fingertip and stand short pieces along the top.
A hedgehog covered in fork pokesA fork. Pinch one end of a ball into a nose and press the fork tips all over the back.
A ladybug: a dome with dots and a line down its backA butter knife. Press a red ball into a dome, mark the line with the knife and add small dark balls.
A lion with a mane of strandsA garlic press. Flatten a ball for the face and lay squeezed strands all the way round it.
A monster with as many eyes as you likeA drinking straw. Squash a blob, pull out two horns and press straw-end eyes all over it.
A mouse with flat ears and a thin tailNo tools. Roll an egg shape, pinch a nose, press on two flat ears and one long, thin snake.
A snowman of three ballsTwo pieces of dry spaghetti. Stack three balls, biggest at the bottom, and push the pieces in as arms.
A turtle with a printed shellA bottle cap. Flatten a ball for the shell, print it with the cap and tuck five small balls under the edge.
An octopus: one ball on eight legsNo tools. Roll one ball and eight short snakes, press the snakes under it and curl up the ends.
Pretend food 12
A birthday cake with a candle for each yearNo tools. Stack two fat discs, lay a thin snake round the edge and stand short snakes on top.
A burger with a frill of lettuceNo tools. Flatten four discs, frill the edge of the green one with your fingers and stack them.
A fried egg and two sausagesNo tools. Flatten a wobbly white disc, press a yellow ball into the middle and roll two brown snakes.
A pie with a lattice topA jar lid and a butter knife. Fill the lid with a flat disc, lay strips across one way, then the other.
A pizza with toppings, cut into slicesA butter knife. Flatten a circle, add small balls and strips on top and cut it into six.
A pretzel knotNo tools. Roll one long snake, cross the ends over twice and fold them down onto the loop.
A sundae of three scoops in a bowlA spoon. Scoop three balls into a small bowl with the spoon and set a tiny red ball on top.
A swirl lollipop on a stickA craft stick. Twist two colors into one snake, coil it flat and push the stick into the edge.
Cookies with a criss-cross on topA fork. Roll balls, flatten each with your palm and press the fork across it twice.
Peas in a podNo tools. Roll five small balls, flatten a green oval and fold it halfway round them.
Spaghetti with three meatballsA garlic press. Squeeze a pile of strands onto a plate and roll three balls for the top.
Swirl buns sliced from a rolled-up stripA rolling pin and a butter knife. Roll a strip flat, roll it up like a rug and cut it into rounds.
Pictures on a mat 12
A butterfly with matching wingsA fork. Press four flat wings beside a snake body and print the same fork marks on each side.
A drawing finished in doughA plastic sleeve. Slip a drawing of a face inside, then add dough hair and a hat on top of the sleeve.
A fish bowl with two fish and bubblesA drinking straw. Lay a snake ring on the mat, press two fish inside and print bubbles with the straw end.
A garden of three flowersNo tools. Press a ball flat for each middle, ring it with five pinched petals and add a snake stem.
A house with a doorA butter knife. Flatten a slab, cut a square and a triangle, press them on the mat and add a door.
A night sky with a moon and starsA bottle cap. Spread dark dough thin, press on tiny balls as stars and cut a moon with the cap edge.
A person as tall as your handNo tools. A ball head, a fat snake body and four thin snakes, all pressed flat on the mat so they hold.
A pond with lily pads and a frogA butter knife. Spread a blue puddle, press on green discs with a notch cut out and sit a ball frog on one.
A sun with snake raysNo tools. Flatten a yellow ball in the middle of the mat and lay short snakes all round it.
A town of snake roadsNo tools. Lay snake roads across the mat, add flat squares for houses and drive a finger along.
A tree with squashed-ball leavesNo tools. Lay a fat snake as the trunk and squash green balls flat above it with a thumb.
Your age as a number, with that many balls beside itNo tools. Bend a snake into the number and line up the balls next to it, counting as you go.
How it works
These playdough art ideas are for small hands, three to six years old. Roll it, press it, make a face, a meal or a picture, then squash it and put it back in the tub. Nothing is baked or kept.
Read the full guide
Play dough art ideas start with three shapes
A ball rolled between the palms, a snake rolled under flat hands, and a slab pressed with the heel of the hand. A snail is one snake coiled up, a caterpillar is six balls in a row, and every print starts as a slab.
The kitchen drawer is the tool kit
A fork makes scales, spikes and criss-cross cookies. A garlic press makes manes, nests and spaghetti. A butter knife cuts letters, railway sleepers and pizza slices, and a potato masher prints a waffle in one push.
Pretend food stays pretend. Nothing made here is for tasting.
Work on a tray, so a picture can be carried to show someone before it is squashed.
Keep the colors apart until the last make of the day. Mixed dough does not unmix.
Questions and answers
What can you make with playdough?
A pot of stacked rings, a leaf print, a hedgehog, a burger and a town of snake roads: one from each of the five groups of 12, which are rolled and coiled, pressed and printed, faces and creatures, pretend food, and pictures on a mat.
What are easy playdough ideas for a 3 year old?
Anything built from balls and snakes with no tool: a rainbow of bent snakes, an octopus on eight legs, peas in a pod, a sun with snake rays. An adult rolls the first one and the child copies.
What tools do you need for playdough?
None for 22 of the 60. Most of the rest use one thing from the kitchen drawer: a fork, a butter knife, a garlic press, a rolling pin, a potato masher or a whisk. A few use a shell, a comb or a toy block.
Do playdough models need baking?
No. This is soft modeling dough that goes back in its tub, so nothing here is baked, dried or kept. Pieces meant to last are made from air-dry or polymer clay, which has its own list.