This Year Give the Gift of Play-Doh

Quality Holiday Gift Giving for Nannies and Au Pairs

By Lynn Wariara, Nanny and Author

The toy industry is fickle and the hottest toy this holiday season won’t be played with just weeks after a child receives the gift. But, through all the fads and trends, Play-Doh remains just as popular as ever.

We have been encouraging nannies to share inexpensive quality gifts with the children they care for this holiday season. Quality toys provide children with activities that promote healthy play and non-violent behavior at home and school. Quality gifts promote thinking skills, creativity, social skills, and helps caregivers bond with the child.

Play-Doh is a quality gift. As a nanny, I always find it amazing to see how playing with modeling compound sparks a child’s imagination.

Here some developmental benefits to using Play-Doh or any modeling compound:

• Play-Doh extruders help children develop two-handed skills.
• Play-Doh cutters can help strengthen toddlers hand muscles.
• Play-Doh stampers help children develop pre-writing skills by strengthening the pincer grip.
• Play-Doh rollers helps kids develop hand and eye coordination.
• Cutting, squeezing, stamping, and rolling with Play-Doh helps children develop fine motor skills.
• Playing with Play-Doh compound sparks creativity.
• Play-Doh keeps toddlers busy and stretches their attention spans.
• Squeezing Play-Doh helps toddlers develop the skills they need for tying shoes and buttoning clothes.

The Play-Doh aisle is filled with great gift choices that will fit any child’s imagination. Here are some of my favorite Play-Doh gifts:

1. Melissa and Doug Shape, Model, and Mold

I don’t know any kid that doesn’t love playing with dough. Modeling dough is the perfect medium for hours of imaginative fun. This set includes five easy-grip, wooden stamping cubes, three rolling pins, four modeling dough tubs with molding lids, and a patterned wheel press.



2. Play-Doh Barrel by Hasbro

This Play-Doh Big Barrel play set offers molding, cutting, and extruding play in lots of different ways. With six cans (4 five-ounce cans and 2 two-ounce cans) of Play-Doh compound and plenty of accessories, there's no end to what a child can create! The Play-Doh Big Barrel stores all of the compound and accessories and you can take it along for fun anywhere, anytime!



3. Play-Doh Cake Making Station

For youngsters that like Birthdays and cooking the fun really starts to stack up as they create layer after layer of fun and fabulous Play-Doh modeling compound “cake” creations. Kids can use the molds to create layers for their pretend “cakes” and then load up your Cake Makin' Station tool to add all kinds of amazing decorations on top. Children can use the “frosting” tool to add “frosting" to the top of each “cake”. When they are done with their “bakery” masterpiece, they can set it on the plate accessory to “serve” to their friends and family.



4. Play-Doh Pack of 24-Colors

Help unlock a child’s creative juices with Play-Doh modeling compound and this collection of 24-colors. So much compound, so little time. They will find endless color combinations to unlock their imagination.



5. Play-Doh: Fun Factory Deluxe Set

The Fun Factory Super Set has everything kids need to roll, mold, and extrude lots of fun shapes. The two extruder rails have 10 more patterns for extruding long strips of Play-Doh. It contains six 5-ounce cans of Play-Doh molding compound and over 30 Play-Doh accessories.



6. Play-Doh NEW Backpack

This clear backpack comes with 26 letter molds, 10 number molds, a Flip N Snip tool, key chain, and 4 five-ounce cans of modeling clay. I love that the child in my care can carry this backpack of fun anywhere we go.