Every time I make a flour dough for pizza or calzone my children want to help knead and roll out the dough. At first I was somewhat reluctant to let them help because I didn’t want excessive mess nor the thought of my dough being contaminated by whatever foreign objects they introduce into it. However, I do not want to squash my children’s desire to help so I compromised and gave them a piece of the dough for their exclusive use. They can do whatever their hearts desire for their piece of dough while I still can use my dough for dinner purposes. As they kneaded and rolled out the dough, they became more and more creative. They started to look for different items in the kitchen to create various shapes and designs. After they are done with the artwork, I simply put them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. They can continue the play the following day if they choose to. I add a little bit of water to soften the dough as it tends to dry out overnight.

Even if I’m not making a dough for dinner use, the dough still can be easily made for the kids’ activity time by simply adding water to flour. Make sure the flour consistency is not sticky but stretchy. You can either add more flour or water to reach the desired consistency. This is a great and cheap arts and crafts for the children. I normally allow them to use my rolling pin, cookie cutters, and plastic knife to create their own designs.