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The Educational Value of Play-Doh

  • Writer: Clarifi Staffing Solutions
    Clarifi Staffing Solutions
  • Jul 14
  • 7 min read
play doh in the classroom

Even the most seasoned speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and special education teachers experience days when the session plan just doesn’t come together. Maybe the printer jammed, the copier ran out of toner, or the carefully crafted materials were accidentally left at home. In those moments, it’s tempting to view the day as a loss or resort to passive activities that fill time but don’t serve your students’ goals.


Being underprepared doesn’t mean you have to be ineffective. That’s where the beauty of a "Play-Doh Day" comes in. Far from being just a last-minute substitute or “fluff” day, a Play-Doh-focused session can be not only engaging but also developmentally rich and educationally impactful. With intention, Play-Doh becomes more than just a colorful, squishy toy—it becomes a powerful, multi-sensory learning tool capable of meeting IEP goals, targeting speech-language objectives, and fostering social-emotional growth. Amongst the many educational benefits, Play-Doh is also a cheap resource that you can pretty much find anywhere online and in store.


Here's a link to a highly rated non-toxic classroom Play-Do set to have as back up:



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Let’s explore how Play-Doh can transform a potentially unproductive day into one filled with creativity, connection, and concrete learning outcomes. We’ll dive into the research behind sensory play, evidence-based strategies, and a robust list of therapy and classroom activities designed to keep learning on track—no matter how your morning started.


The Educational Value of Play-Doh


Play-Doh is more than a fun classroom material—it is a research-backed, multi-sensory resource with immense educational value. Used intentionally, it can support a wide range of skills vital to early childhood and special education development. From a neurodevelopmental standpoint, Play-Doh engages tactile, visual, and proprioceptive systems simultaneously. This multi-sensory activation helps reinforce learning and support brain connections across various developmental areas.


According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2018), play is essential for brain development and offers critical benefits in four key domains: cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. Play-Doh activities support these areas by promoting:


  • Tactile Stimulation and Sensory Regulation: Many students, especially those with autism or sensory processing differences, benefit from sensory-rich activities. Kneading, rolling, and shaping Play-Doh provides consistent proprioceptive and tactile input, which can help calm dysregulation and support focus.


  • Expressive and Receptive Language: Play-Doh creates a rich context for vocabulary exposure and functional communication. As students build, they describe what they’re making, request items, and engage in back-and-forth dialogue that reinforces pragmatic language skills.


  • Fine Motor Skill Development: Manipulating Play-Doh strengthens the small muscles in the hands and fingers, which are critical for handwriting, scissor use, and other classroom tasks. SLPs and OTs often collaborate using Play-Doh as a shared therapeutic tool for this reason.


  • Creative Problem-Solving and Imagination: Open-ended prompts—"Make something that flies" or "Build a home for your pet dinosaur"—engage students in divergent thinking. These activities encourage mental flexibility and story-building skills crucial for cognitive development.


  • Social Communication: Play-Doh is inherently social when shared. Students practice turn-taking, asking and answering questions, complimenting peers, and negotiating shared space—all important components of social-emotional learning.


A 2021 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that sensory-based interventions like Play-Doh play increased engagement, verbal expression, and sustained attention among students with autism spectrum disorder. Researchers concluded that structured sensory activities can enhance learning outcomes by supporting regulation, motivation, and connection.


Other research supports the use of play-based learning in general education settings as well. Hirsh-Pasek et al. (2009) highlight that guided play—where teachers or therapists provide a framework but allow students to lead—improves vocabulary acquisition, language complexity, and peer collaboration.


By tapping into students’ natural desire to explore and create, Play-Doh transforms into a platform for high-impact, low-pressure learning. Whether you’re reinforcing articulation sounds, teaching categories, or building narrative skills, Play-Doh offers a non-threatening and enjoyable medium to help students grow.


Ideas for Play-Doh Activities with Educational Outcomes


Play-Doh activities can be easily tailored to fit a wide range of goals across speech therapy and special education settings. Here are classroom-tested ideas that not only keep students engaged but also help track progress on individual goals and objectives:


  1. Shape and Color Sorting

    • Targets: Categorization, labeling, receptive language, color and shape vocabulary.

    • How it works: Roll Play-Doh into balls or cut shapes using plastic cutters. Ask students to sort by color or shape, then label each group. This builds foundational language and cognitive classification skills.


  2. Build and Describe Creations

    • Targets: Descriptive language, sequencing, WH-questions.

    • How it works: Students build any object of their choice and describe it to the group. Prompt them to answer questions like, "What is it? What color is it? What does it do?"


  3. Play-Doh Restaurant or Market Role-Play

    • Targets: Functional communication, requesting, turn-taking, expressive language.

    • How it works: Create pretend foods or products and role-play a restaurant or store. Use menus or signs to enhance literacy skills and practice real-world communication.


  4. Storytelling with Play-Doh Characters

    • Targets: Narrative language, verb tenses, sequencing, creativity.

    • How it works: Students create characters or scenes from a story. Prompt them to tell a beginning, middle, and end using their sculptures.


  5. Following Directions Activities

    • Targets: Listening comprehension, sequencing, working memory.

    • How it works: Give one-step or multi-step directions involving Play-Doh (e.g., "Make a red star and put it on the plate"). Increase complexity based on skill level.


  6. Compare and Contrast Sculptures

    • Targets: Critical thinking, vocabulary development, grammar structures.

    • How it works: Create two different objects (e.g., a cat and a dog). Have students compare them using structured sentence frames like, "The cat has..., but the dog..."


All of these activities are flexible enough to support a wide range of goals and student needs. By observing and documenting student participation during Play-Doh-based tasks, educators and SLPs can collect informal data, measure progress, and most importantly, foster joy and engagement in the learning process.


Aligning Play-Doh Activities With IEP Goals


Play-Doh is a dynamic tool that can align directly with individualized education plan (IEP) objectives, especially in speech-language pathology and special education settings. When used intentionally, it provides a tactile and engaging way to track progress, build foundational skills, and meet IEP goals in an organic, low-pressure format.


For students working on expressive language goals, Play-Doh can prompt sentence formulation, labeling, and storytelling. For example, a student with an IEP goal to use descriptive sentences might be asked to create a Play-Doh animal and describe it using color, size, and function (e.g., "My blue cat is big and jumps high"). Articulation goals are easily supported with smash mats or themed vocabulary repetition during creation. For receptive language objectives, teachers can give multi-step directions using Play-Doh tools ("Make a yellow star, then put it on the blue plate").


Even social goals like initiating peer interaction or taking turns can be addressed through shared Play-Doh tasks. The process of borrowing tools, offering suggestions, and commenting on each other’s work naturally encourages social communication. Motor goals—fine or gross—can be met through rolling, pinching, flattening, and shaping the dough, all of which support hand strength and dexterity critical for writing.

By embedding goals into playful tasks, educators can document performance while making therapy feel fun and purposeful. Progress monitoring becomes more authentic when students are engaged in meaningful activity.


Adapting Play-Doh Days for Diverse Student Needs


No two students are the same—especially in a special education classroom. Play-Doh’s beauty lies in its flexibility to be adapted for different developmental levels, sensory needs, and communication styles.


For students with autism spectrum disorder, visual supports like step-by-step visual schedules and cue cards can help reduce anxiety and increase independence. Limiting scent or opting for unscented dough may benefit those with olfactory sensitivity. For students with ADHD or executive functioning challenges, using timers or structured “make and show” tasks can support focus and task completion.

Students who are nonverbal or minimally verbal can use alternative communication (AAC) tools to make requests or describe what they’re building. Educators can model core vocabulary like "make," "want," "more," or "stop" using low- or high-tech AAC. Sensory seekers may benefit from heavy resistance Play-Doh, while sensory avoiders might need tools to manipulate the dough instead of direct touch.


Differentiation is key. With minor modifications, Play-Doh can serve as a universal design tool that fosters inclusion while honoring students’ unique needs.


Integrating Academic Concepts


Play-Doh isn’t just for therapy goals—it can reinforce early academic skills in literacy, math, and science. Its versatility allows educators to make cross-curricular connections in creative ways.


In literacy, students can use Play-Doh to form letters, spell words, and build story elements. One popular strategy is to have students build a character or setting, then write or dictate a story about it. For phonics instruction, students can shape letters while reciting the corresponding sounds, pairing tactile learning with auditory cues.


Math concepts like number recognition, patterns, measurement, and basic operations can also be introduced. Use Play-Doh to create sets for counting, match numbers to quantities, or make repeating color patterns. Measuring weight or volume by comparing “dough balls” builds early STEM understanding.

Science topics—from plant life cycles to weather—can be explored through Play-Doh modeling. For example, students can make the stages of a butterfly or recreate cloud types. Inquiry-based questions like "What will happen if…" prompt observation and prediction skills.


Integrating academics into sensory play encourages deeper engagement and reinforces skills through repetition and creativity. It also provides opportunities to connect learning to real-world experiences in a concrete, meaningful way.


Intentional Play Leads to Powerful Learning


A Play-Doh Day is more than a backup plan—it’s a researched, evidence-informed opportunity to build skills, connect with students, and meet real educational goals.


In the hands of a skilled educator or speech-language pathologist, Play-Doh transforms from a simple classroom material into a multi-purpose intervention tool.

By integrating Play-Doh into your therapy or teaching routines, you give yourself flexibility while still maintaining structure, data collection, and goal alignment. Most importantly, you offer students an engaging, inclusive, and effective way to learn, grow, and express themselves.


So, the next time your day doesn't go as planned, reach for the Play-Doh. Because sometimes the most powerful learning happens when we let go of the script—and just start creating.


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