Need a Gluten Free Dough Recipe?? Try Homemade Clay!! Hands ON Letter "C"!

We are always on the hunt for fun new ways to bring our letter learning to life!  

I am always amazed when a good plan comes together and results in amazing learning.

Aren't you?!

I wish these were my idea.  They would be SO easy to cut out and have around all the time, but these are from Mother Goose Time.  They are from heavy card stock and are made to look like a magnifying glass.  They help us "focus" our little eyes and minds on what we are looking for.  

This time it is the letter "C"!

So simple!  Look at the results....

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We used our awesome purple glue sticks to make sticky "C"'s on our paper and added all kinds of stickers, shapes, animals to "See" on our "C!" 

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Then we made some clay.  I have never made true "homemade" clay before.  S.T.E.A.M. play at it's finest!!  Be still my teacher heart.....

This recipe works VERY well.  If I were making it for one child, "No PROBLEM!" "Got this!" (For gluten free make certain you use a high quality corn starch.  Most of them say, "Gluten Free" nowadays, but just be sure.... ) 

This is not the case in my world.  I am always making everything for 10 children.  ALWAYS. I can't cook a meal for my own family without making tiny burgers (thankfully we can call them "sliders" when I blank out and forget I am cooking for a full grown man and teen!)

So this recipe was a bit challenging when making enough for 10.  I quadrupled it, made it during nap and it was ready for play!  This SWEET recipe book comes from 

The Rainy Day Activity Book Paperback – September 1, 1995 by Jennifer Rader 

Our clay in action!

It was soft and malleable, perfect for a new sensory experience.  Our children have played with store clay, but it is much harder for little hands to shape and mold.  This clay was firmer than dough, but soft enough to mold easily.  

The reviews from the children ranged from, "WOW!" to "This has a funny smell?"  It was made with cornstarch, baking soda, and water so it did have a bit of a different smell than our flour based dough recipe.

We made lots of letters, including our "C", as well as "C"ircus animals, "C"lown fish, and pop"c"orn!  We sent the clay home with each child so continue the learning and play at their own pace. 

BONUS!  This recipe is gluten free!!

I love simple, hands-on experiences for my littles. This one fit the bill and encouraged LOTS of imagination, conversation, and learning.  

Just what the teacher ordered!!

As always, I wish you well and I hope you get to play today! - L