Today we worked on pattycakes. These are handprints made with dried homemade play dough that is flattened out. My brother and I made these when we were little with our mom’s help. I still have mine and will share a picture of it next week after we paint Nathan’s and Autumn’s.
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We had a lot of fun making these today as you’ll see in the pictures… Here is the recipe:
Small Batch
1 1/2 cups salt
1 1/2 cups water
4 cups flour
Large Batch
3 cups salt
3 cups water
8 cups flour
Mix together the salt and flour. Add the water a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth. If the dough is too dry you can add small amounts of water at a time.
Preschoolers can help to make this simple salt dough. Have preschoolers help measure the ingredients and take turns pouring them into a bowl. Separate the dough into small amounts and allow each preschooler to knead together their portion. Allow preschoolers to experiment with the dough before creating a handprint.
What To Do
When the salt dough has been formed, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Give each preschooler a small ball of clay. Show the preschoolers how to use a rolling pin to form a flat pancake-like shape. Flatten each ball of clay so that it is almost an inch thick. If the handprint is too thin it will crack after baking. Help each preschooler push their hand into the center of the dough to create a handprint. Use a dull knife, if desired, to create a smooth edge around the handprint.
Help preschoolers write their name in the dough beneath their handprint using a sharpened pencil. When preschoolers are satisfied with their handprint, cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper and gently place the salt dough handprints down on top. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until the dough hardens.
Allow the salt dough handprints to cool completely. Using a non-toxic tempera paint, let preschoolers paint their cooled handprint any way they like.
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And, pictures!
The ingredients for making patty cake’s is simple– water, flour and salt.
Nathan did a good job with putting the flour in the bowl.
Autumn gets some flour on Nathan as he ducks for cover. Thaaat Sissy!!!!
Grandma adds some water to the flour/salt mixture and Nathan helps…
Nathan trys a bite of the mixture and shrivels up his face. Yuck! It sure is salty!!
We used a tin can to cut the dough into a circle. We used a larger one for Nathan’s handprint and a smaller one for Autumn’s handprint.
Grandma helping Nathan make a handprint. We made two that we kept after several attempts.
Autumn’s turn!! She was easy since she was asleep.
Pattycakes after being baked at 300 for 30 minutes. We will continue to let them dry and then paint them. More pictures to come next week.
And, one picture of the two together with their shirts on.
