GUIDES
Clay makers
What you’ll need
Per girl: • A pot or bowl • A spoon • Washing-up liquid, ½ cup • Plain flour, 1 cup • Cream of tartar, 1 tsp • Turmeric, ½ tsp • An airtight container (optional)
Aim of the activity
Dragonfruit, narwhal, UFO... Create the most unusual things you can think of using homemade, environmentally friendly play-dough.
Note to leader: Check for allergies and sensitivities before completing the activity. The turmeric adds colour to the play-dough and the cream of tartar improves the consistency, but it can be made without.
Step by step
1
Close your eyes and think about play-dough. You can probably remember the smell of it. Have you ever made your own?
2
Grab a set of ingredients and follow the play-dough recipe.
Play-dough recipe Mix the washing-up liquid and turmeric together in a bowl. Add the flour and cream of tartar and mix it with your hands until it forms a ball. Then knead it until it has a silky feel. Kneading means working the dough with your hands to strengthen it.
3
Once everyone has their play-dough, sit in a circle with your backs facing in. Your leader will call out a theme. You have one minute to create something in that theme using your play-dough. For example, if the theme is animals, you could sculpt something unexpected, like a blobfish. After each round, turn around and show everyone what you’ve made. If no one else has made the same thing as you, you get a point.
4
Keep playing with different themes. The Guide with the most points wins. When you’re done, put your play-dough in an airtight container so it won’t dry out.
Suggested themes • Animals • Vehicles • Fruit • Vegetables • Items found in a bedroom