hands-on activities

You’ll love these 9 fun facts about Jello and a playdough activity. Be sure to also check out my Edible Skin Project and Free Homeschool Human Body Unit Study that uses Jello as well.

Too, February 13th through 19th is National Jello Week.

So, I decided to pull out a favorite recipe of homemade playdough.

And to give it some color and a wonderful scent I’m using Jello.

Also, I’m giving list of ways you can use it in your homeschool for learning.

You probably already know that playdough is an amazing tool for building up fine motor skills and strengthening the hand.

Shaping, rolling, pinching, forming, and flattening are great prewriting exercises and they are just loads of fun for kids.

But that is just one aspect of the benefits of playdough.

Homemade playdough is so easy to make and has a much better smell and texture than store bought.

This yummy scented version made with Jello is nontoxic and totally taste safe for little ones but I would try to keep them from eating much of it.

9 Jello Facts You May Not Have Known

1. There are 22 official JELLO Flavors.
2. The powdered mixture is made up of about 90% sugar.
3. Jello was served to immigrants at Ellis Island to welcome them with a yummy treat.
4. Some of the weird and not surprisingly unpopular flavors that they have tried are- tomato, celery, chocolate, and coffee.
5. Utah is the state that loves Jello the most. They consume more Jello than any other state.
6. Jello is 136 years old this year.
7. Strawberry is the most popular flavor.
8. There is a Jell-o museum in LeRoy, New York.
9. You can find a box of Jell-o in 3 out of 4 pantries in America.

Here are some great ways I have compiled to extend the playdough learning beyond exercising just their imagination and fine motor skills.

Here are some great ways I have compiled to extend the playdough learning beyond exercising just their imagination and fine motor skills.

Math Jello Playdough Activities

• Roll out small balls and have your child count them.

Use them as counters for addition and subtraction.

Practice for skip counting. Having a sensory activity for teaching often helps the information click in your child’s brain better.

• You can have your child make 2d shapes to learn their names and how many sides and points they have.

But also 3d shapes like cubes, spheres, and cones as well.

• Use a simple scale or balance to weigh different amounts of gelatin.
• Roll out various snake shapes and measure with a ruler.

Literacy Craft Ideas Using Jello

• Use playdough to roll out snake shapes and have your child use it to form upper- and lower-case letters for practice. Too, have them say they sound or tell you something that starts with that letter once they make it as well to reinforce what they are learning.
• Roll out small balls and call out simple words for your child to spell, put out the matching number of playdough balls and have your child smash one flat with each letter they call out.
• Use letter shaped beads or stamps to press out simple CVC words into rolled out dough for practice.

Science Ideas Using Jello Playdough

• Let your child make the playdough with you and note how the ingredients transform and take on a different structure and states of matter when heat is applied.
• Use playdough to create insects and labels like head, thorax, abdomen, wings, etc.

• Make multiple colors of playdough and break it down into smaller pieces. Let your child explore color mixing by working the various colors together.
• Press animals into playdough to create “fossils”.

More Playdough Activities

• Roll out playdough and press random objects from around the house into playdough. See if your child can identify them from the mold it made.
• Create “baked goods” from playdough and encourage your child to describe their creations to help build vocabulary and of course imagination.
• Use playdough as a base for a sensory bin or tray.
• Roll playdough flat and use a toothpick or craft stick to draw or write on it.
• Easy Hands-On Science: Label the Atom Playdough Activity
• Make a Fun and Easy Salt Dough Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Map
• Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

Finally, look how to make this playdough activity.

How to Make Jello Playdough

You will need:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ cup table salt
• 1 packet Jello – any flavor
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan.

Place the pan over medium heat and stir often until mixture begins to pull away from the side of the pan, this usually only takes a few minutes.

Flip dough out onto a lightly floured surface and allow it to cool until it is comfortable to the touch.

Knead for a minute or two to continue mixing.

Once fully cooled your jello playdough is ready for all those fantastic ideas.

If you love this playdough activity, add cookie cutters, a rolling pin, and other items to extend the playdough activities and stretch your child’s imagination.