Salt Dough Projects to Make for Dad

May 29, 2017 by Sarah White 2 Comments

Sometimes it’s hard to come up with project ideas for holidays that can also be considered learning activities, but I think making things with salt dough fits that category.

If the kids help you make the dough, you’re getting some math in with measuring, science in the mixing of ingredients to make the dough, and a bit of sensory play as you work the dough. And making the project itself is art, so there’s a lot going on in these simple projects.

There are lots of recipes for salt dough and air-dry clay out there, but an easy one is to mix a cup of salt and two cups of flour with enough water to make a rollable, moldable dough (start with about 3/4 of a cup of water).

What to do with the salt dough once it’s made? Here are some great ideas to make for Father’s Day:

Thumbprint Magnet | Messy Little Monster
Salt Dough Handprint Bowl | Messy Little Monster
Hand and Foot Heart Keepsakes | Rhythms of Play
Toddler Made Salt Dough Picture Frames | Uno Zwei Tutu
Salt Dough Heart Candle Holder | Learning and Exploring Through Play
DAD Salt Dough Picture Frame | Soccer Mom Blog
Hands and Photo Heart Keepsake | Teach Me Mommy

And while this one is clay, not salt dough, the DIY Marbled Clay jewelry dish from Rhythms of Play is gorgeous, too. And in a similar vein, but a little more involved/time consuming/messy, there’s the Father’s Day stepping stone from Kids Activities Blog.

Do you like to make gifts for Father’s Day? I’d love to hear what you’re planning.

Did you know Father’s Day was founded in Washington in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd, Its first celebration was in the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children there and the day was created to honour him and it’s achievements as a single father.

Looking for more salt dough projects? check these salt dough crafts out on our sister site Craftbits.com

If you are looking for an airdrying clay as an alternative I highly recommend Das Airdrying white clay I have been using it for over 30 years and it never fails me.

Comments

Marble work in India says
May 30, 2017 at 2:13 am
Wow! Really awesome hand craft if anyone made it for dad than it will help him or her in financial ways .just for fun.
But thanks for sharing this us.
emilyhunsaker says
May 30, 2017 at 10:17 am
Thanks for sharing this list! I love finding ways for the kids to make gifts instead of purchasing something from the store.

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Easy Lacing Cards to Make for Kids

Lacing is a great fine motor activity, and most kids go through a phase where they enjoy working with lacing cards. It helps promote focus and is a great quiet activity for kids to do in the car or to fill time in the classroom. And of course knowing how to lace is the beginning of knowing how to sew, which is great for all kids to learn (more on teaching kids to sew here).

There are lots of ways to make your own lacing cards. This one is just a pin but it’s easy to make lacing cards with any shape a child is into using cardboard and a nail to poke the holes. This could be fun for letter and number recognition or spelling the child’s name. Or try this version from Hey Azka, which uses a hole punch to make bigger holes so you can lace with shoe laces.

You can also just do lacing cards with paper, but it’s a great idea to print them on card stock and/or laminate them to make them sturdier for little hands. Homeschool Share has a set of alphabet lacing cards, which are free with email signup. Deceptively Educational has a set of number lacing cards with numbers 0 to 10.

Picklebums has some basic shape lacing cards, too.

Living Life and Learning has a bunch of cute printable lacing cards, including back to school designs, shoes kids can lace and learn to tie and ocean themed lacing cards. She also has tips for making your own lacing cards.

A Rose Tinted World made their lacing cards with craft foam, which makes them a little more durable than paper and you can cut it more easily than cardboard. They used a die cutting machine but you can also cut shapes by hand.

I also love the cat and mouse cards from Seam Whisperer. They also have some spring themed designs. So cute!

If you want to make lacing cards that are more open ended, check out this tutorial form Pretty Life Girls to make lacing cards that are more like geo boards. Theirs are made with wood but you can also do this with cardboard, craft foam or card stock.

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