Thursday, April 21, 2011

Quick Change Artists: DIY Playdough Playmats

My artists: chaos & control
My kids love Play-doh, but I dislike the million multi-color crumb clean-up.

I cut some lengths of freezer paper (size corresponding with age and messiness) to use as perpetual playmats.  Waxed paper or parchment would serve equally well.

When playdough interest wanes and the dough is tucked back into cans, I shake the papers over the trash can and many of the wee nuggets are vanquished.

It is not a perfect system.  Some days the bottoms of my socks still look like they have a Seussical pox, but the slick paper playmats cut clean-up time substantially.


***Baby Toolkit is a collection of hacks, coughs, and observations from a couple geeky Midwestern parents.  We're Amazon affiliates, so a portion of purchases made through our links goes toward our dreams of a giant Batsignal spotlight.

3 comments:

  1. We typically use plastic wrap. Just wrap it across the top of the table.

    No fuss, no muss.

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  2. That's a great idea! I gave up a couple of half-sheet cookie pans for the kids' messy work (play doh, crayons, etc). Well worth the price for my sanity :)

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  3. Chris & CFO:

    Both great ideas! One of my kids would love the enclosure of the cookie sheet. The other would hate the lip, but wouldn't mind plastic wrap at all.

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