Random...Do You Allow

[Hunni Bee]

...mixing together of Play-Do colors. It drives me nuts. Most kids are careful, but I always have a few boys that just want go crazy with it.

Grounds for immediate clean up.

Is it just me?

[choirlady76]

At my center, we are not allowed to let the kids mix up the colors, we use just one color and them another the next time.

[itlw8]

I used to give one color out on one side of the table and another on the other side and they needed to be colors that would mix pretty

BUT that was my problem not theirs I was putting limits on their creativity... playdough is cheap, all they really care about is if it is soft.

I never sent them away if they mixed it though......

NOW each picks a color and yes it gets mixed. They have learned a lot about mixing colors this year... yes after a year we are getting lots of brown They do not care at all.


This summer I will get some new and we wil start fresh but only because I love the bright colors the brown is still soft and fun.... they say it is cookie dough.

In the early years I would correct & prevent it. Now I just put two colours out at a time that blend well together and keep things relaxed. Plus it's learning - red & white make pink, red & yellow make orange etc. I starting questioning why does it matter, other than it no longer looks pretty, but they don't care about that so why should I

[itlw8]

my dgd went through a stage where every painting was s big brown blob she said it was chocolate. I solved that by taking a picture of her painting as she created it. so I could show the creative painting and she made chocolate like she wanted. LOL

[mema]

I don't, but I usually only have 1 maybe 2 colors at a time. I make 1 big batch. They usually don't care too much about the colors anyway-at least not the ones I've had.

[littlemissmuffet]

Makes me cringe! But I'm OCD.

I would love to be as chill as the pp who said mixing colors is a learning experience

[SquirrellyMama]

Playdough colors must be mixed! I can't imagine not letting them mix colors. I can always buy or make new dough. It drives my own kids nuts that I let the dck's mix colors. Not sure where they get that from. Must be their dad

[MamaBearCanada]

Usually one colour each at a time. As it gets closer to needing a new batch I start to let them mix. Brown plays oh makes me cringe though

[JenNJ]

Yes! I used to LOVE mixing it as a kid. Playing with one color gets VERY boring, VERY fast for little kids. I think it is the equivalent of having kids use one color crayon or only one color paint.

But you are talking to a woman who has her own personal stash of PlayDoh bc I love it so much.

[momofsix]

I don't allow mixing. I've been to busy to make play-dough lately so I bought a batch of 24 colors. It's nice to be able to know what color you're going to get by looking at the cover. I also have some kids that would get VERY upset to have brown play-dough when they were expecting green or pink!
Some of you do have me thinking though-maybe I am being a little ocd? Mixing colors most definitely would be a learning and creative opportunity! Maybe I'll have to have a talk with the kids and let them help decide what our play-dough rules should be.

[SquirrellyMama]

Originally Posted by momofsix

I don't allow mixing. I've been to busy to make play-dough lately so I bought a batch of 24 colors. It's nice to be able to know what color you're going to get by looking at the cover. I also have some kids that would get VERY upset to have brown play-dough when they were expecting green or pink!
Some of you do have me thinking though-maybe I am being a little ocd? Mixing colors most definitely would be a learning and creative opportunity! Maybe I'll have to have a talk with the kids and let them help decide what our play-dough rules should be.

I think it would be a good learning experience for these kids. Maybe a lesson in how to relax a bit.

I usually try to put all the mixed playdough in a plastic bag so you can see what color it is.

Kelly

[Leigh]

I hate that SOOO much, too! I love ORDER! But, kids love to mix colors-and honestly, the Play Doh isn't for me. So I let them do what they want with it and cry a little inside every time I see green and blue squished together.

[Evansmom]

In the Reggio approach children are taught the color wheel so that they can learn to choose colors that go together. Also teachers set out colors that are gradations of each other when they paint or do art so that the finished product always looks pleasing to the eye. I like this and take this approach when we paint or make play dough. We have a color wheel and they kids have access to it so that they can choose complementary colors. Maybe you can do this kind of thing with the play-doh? Plus the kids learn so much about color theory without really even knowing that they're doing it

[GoodKarma]

Originally Posted by Evansmom

In the Reggio approach children are taught the color wheel so that they can learn to choose colors that go together. Also teachers set out colors that are gradations of each other when they paint or do art so that the finished product always looks pleasing to the eye. I like this and take this approach when we paint or make play dough. We have a color wheel and they kids have access to it so that they can choose complementary colors. Maybe you can do this kind of thing with the play-doh? Plus the kids learn so much about color theory without really even knowing that they're doing it

This is very interesting. Thank you for sharing

[Blackcat31]

I used to be really anal about order and not mixing things or playing with pieces of one set of pieces while playing with another....but after my own kids were grown and gone, I saw the "damage" that can be done by restricting complete freedom with this kind of stuff....

.......so now art (and free play) are times where I simply look the other way and let the kids mix, share, mingle or combine any color (or pieces) they wish to.

It IS a learning experience for them and my need for order should never supercede their need to learn.

[daycarediva]

I have a bin for mixing and a bin for not. Kids can choose which they would like to do.

Some of my kids get very upset when they want to make pink flowers but the playdoh was mixed. This solved the issue completely. Now everybody is happy.

[wdmmom]

If it gets mixed, I throw it out. I'm too OCD. To me that means it's ruined and if I open a blue lid, I expect to find blue playdoh, not aqua or green or purple or any other crazy variation.

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by momofsix

I don't allow mixing. I've been to busy to make play-dough lately so I bought a batch of 24 colors. It's nice to be able to know what color you're going to get by looking at the cover. I also have some kids that would get VERY upset to have brown play-dough when they were expecting green or pink!
Some of you do have me thinking though-maybe I am being a little ocd? Mixing colors most definitely would be a learning and creative opportunity! Maybe I'll have to have a talk with the kids and let them help decide what our play-dough rules should be.

Yeah my kids would get upset too. We have to buy playdough out of our own pockets, so we'd either end up with brown all the time, or be replacing it every week.

That's probably something it will be hard to let go of...even when I'm on my own.

[daycare]

I make my own and we play with it however....I really don't care if it gets mixed up or not. it still does what it is supposed to regardless of what color it it.

for me, this is a process type activity, not about the end result of how it will look when its done.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Hunni Bee

Yeah my kids would get upset too. We have to buy playdough out of our own pockets, so we'd either end up with brown all the time, or be replacing it every week.

That's probably something it will be hard to let go of...even when I'm on my own.

My DH gags over the smell of store bought Play-Doh... () so I have always made my own. We use Kool-Aid packs, jello and other additives to make it smell good and have vibrant colors.

We usually make a new batch (huge) each week or two and then we divide the large batch into smaller ones to add the colors and when it becomes that odd grayish-brown color that really isn't a color at all, I either send it home with the kids or toss it.

We start fresh again the next week.

Flour, salt and additives are ALWAYS on my list of "Items Wanted" that all my parents donate for.

[sharlan]

I try to keep it seperate, but it always ends up getting mixed. I often make a big batch of one color.

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by daycarediva

I have a bin for mixing and a bin for not. Kids can choose which they would like to do.

Some of my kids get very upset when they want to make pink flowers but the playdoh was mixed. This solved the issue completely. Now everybody is happy.

Excellent idea. I love it! You have really good ideas ��

[sharlan]

OT - I made a big batch of "star wars" playdoh using black food coloring and lots of silver glitter. The kids wouldn't even touch it.

[rmc20021]

All my kids are getting picked up early today...what a great way to start a long weekend.

Going Camping...and then someplace I let my daughter talk me into called Turkeyville. Sounds like fun.

[kathiemarie]

Originally Posted by MamaBearCanada

Usually one colour each at a time. As it gets closer to needing a new batch I start to let them mix.

This is what I do also.

[AfterSchoolMom]

I'm usually very particular about things like this, but it doesn't bug me at all to let them mix it. All of our playdoh ends up gray and brown. :P It's really cheap, so no big deal.

[SunnyDay]

Yes, mixing doesn't bother me. I throw it out pretty often anyway due to germiness.

[countrymom]

I too have issues. I hate that it gets mixed up but they like to do it. I love play doh and I think it should stay the right color but the kids don't get it. I'm like all of you that die a little on the inside when the colors get mixed.

my other problem with store bought play doh is that i find it very rubbery. I'm going to make some homemade stuff this afternoon---but I do love the smell of it oh I love the smell of crayons too.

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

My DH gags over the smell of store bought Play-Doh... () so I have always made my own. We use Kool-Aid packs, jello and other additives to make it smell good and have vibrant colors.

We usually make a new batch (huge) each week or two and then we divide the large batch into smaller ones to add the colors and when it becomes that odd grayish-brown color that really isn't a color at all, I either send it home with the kids or toss it.

We start fresh again the next week.

Flour, salt and additives are ALWAYS on my list of "Items Wanted" that all my parents donate for.

I like the homemade kind better too. I made pumpkin pie dough a couple years ago. I made it orange and added glitter and pumpkin pie spice. I added pans, rolling pins, etc. They loved it. I can't wait to get back into my thing.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Hunni Bee.....what do you mean you have to buy play dough our of your own pocket??? Why on earth.....what the.......? That's crazy! You're at a center.....I don't get it

[dave4him]

I don't even allow play do

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I hate play-doh, it gets everywhere. We do it once a week and each kid gets a little container of it. They don't like to share their play-doh so color mixing really doesn't happen.

[MarinaVanessa]

We make our own play dough as a cooking activity so we make a big bag of it at a time. When it's time to pull it out to play with it we all use the same play dough from the same bag so it's all one color anyway. They each get a small amount and then gradually as they learn the play dough rules (keep it out of your mouth, keep it on your play dough mat, keep your hands on your own play dough etc) they get more of it. It's cheap to make too so what falls on the ground, gets mouthed etc just gets tossed and the rest gets put back in the bag again. We only keep the play dough for 2-3 weeks and then toss it and make a new batch anyway so we rarely have more than one color of it unless it's intentional like if we are learning about mixing colors... then it's ok to mix.

PS: We do play dough outside on a table to contain the mess.

Off Topic ... I LOVE play dough! It's so beneficial for the kids. I love adding scents too depending on what we are learning. Example: A, red & circle. A is for apples and apples are round so we make red play dough and add a little apple extract to the dough. During the fall we make orange colored cinnamon scented play dough etc. LOVE IT!

[spud912]

I make all my playdough and it usually goes along with the overall theme for the month, therefore they only get one color. Not to be a meanie, but if I spent money on the materials and made the time to make the dough extra special, it stays the way I intended it to be . For example, I've made "pumpkin" playdough (scented with pumpkin spices and colored orange), "moon" dough (black and blue dough mixed with glitter and stars), "peppermint" dough (red dough with white glitter and peppermint extract), etc.

There are plenty of other things that I allow the kids to mix so I don't thing they are too limited in that respect (sensory bin materials, shaving cream, paints, crayons, markers, foam dough, etc.).

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

Hunni Bee.....what do you mean you have to buy play dough our of your own pocket??? Why on earth.....what the.......? That's crazy! You're at a center.....I don't get it

Its not something they provide. If we want them to have it, we buy it. We take turns buying it. I'm coming to find out lots of things that you will never hear in the interview or training.

[Angelsj]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

I used to be really anal about order and not mixing things or playing with pieces of one set of pieces while playing with another....but after my own kids were grown and gone, I saw the "damage" that can be done by restricting complete freedom with this kind of stuff....

.......so now art (and free play) are times where I simply look the other way and let the kids mix, share, mingle or combine any color (or pieces) they wish to.

It IS a learning experience for them and my need for order should never supercede their need to learn.

This is exactly my philosophy. I have had children use the duplo box, the block box, the cars and the small toy animals to create an entire city complete with garage, zoo, office buildings, schools (with the weebles bus), etc.
I do not restrict "pieces" or make them put away one box before taking out another. I let them mix to their hearts content.
Playdo is the same way. They don't care what color it is, and they LOVE to mix. I have a playdo mixing machine designed to do just that.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Angelsj

This is exactly my philosophy. I have had children use the duplo box, the block box, the cars and the small toy animals to create an entire city complete with garage, zoo, office buildings, schools (with the weebles bus), etc.
I do not restrict "pieces" or make them put away one box before taking out another. I let them mix to their hearts content.
Playdo is the same way. They don't care what color it is, and they LOVE to mix. I have a playdo mixing machine designed to do just that.

When my own kids were little, I spent a ton of time (and money) keeping all the pieces of toy sets they have completely organized and clean. I had little containers inside bigger containers and all color coded and easy to find and keep orderly.

Years later after my kids had grown, I was so happy to see their toy sets make it through their childhoods in excellent condition and still very useable.
One day, my DD was home for a holiday from college and she and I started talking about toys and things I since moved to the daycare and things I wanted to save for my future grandkids.

My DD told me that a lot of times, she really wanted to play with certain things but didn't because the "orderly" rules I had for playing, (not mixing, playing appropriately etc) made it so that the toy was no longer appealing or fun to play.

Basically I sucked all the fun out of certain things.

Now when I watch my DCK's play with things and they have several pieces of one toy set mixed in with another, I notice how deeply they are engrossed in that magical kid like pretend play that is soooo important. They are so lost in imagination and make believe that they will often play with something (and together with peers) for hours with no issues.

I really truly believe that I robbed my own children of that "right" and I stifled their ability to become deeply engrossed in that type of play because I had such strict rules and guidelines about how to play and not mix things up.

My OCD tendencies should never have been more important than my kids' right to experience imagination and creativity at it's deepest levels.

I think that this change (in how I allow kids to play) is the biggest reason I have hours of uninterrupted free play with no fights or disputes between kids.

[SquirrellyMama]

Originally Posted by Angelsj

This is exactly my philosophy. I have had children use the duplo box, the block box, the cars and the small toy animals to create an entire city complete with garage, zoo, office buildings, schools (with the weebles bus), etc.
I do not restrict "pieces" or make them put away one box before taking out another. I let them mix to their hearts content.
Playdo is the same way. They don't care what color it is, and they LOVE to mix. I have a playdo mixing machinedesigned to do just that.

I'm in love. I want one of those mixing machines.

[Angelsj]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

I think that this change (in how I allow kids to play) is the biggest reason I have hours of uninterrupted free play with no fights or disputes between kids.

My child development instructors always felt I had some kind of intense insight into children and their development. The above reason is really more the drive...lol. I LIKE peace and quiet. To me, it is so worth resorting the toys later on into their buckets.