Playskool Play-Doh Classic Colors 4 Pack - Fun and Educational Toy For The Entire Family!
Written: Apr 25 '04
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Pros: Creative fun and learning experience. Fun for the whole family.
Cons: Can be difficult to remove from carpets if not done correctly.
The Bottom Line: Play Doh is a timeless product. It has been around for many years, and will remain a favorite of children for a long time to come.
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| kelly60's Full Review: Playskool Play-Doh Classic Colors 4 Pack |
Ever since I can remember, I have been enjoying making my own unique creations using Play Doh. From around the age of 2, I would sit at the table and try my hand at making some of the things my older brother and sisters were making. At that age, of course I wasn't very good at it, but I had a great time just trying to make simple shapes.
I would roll it into a ball or a snake, or use my mom's rolling pin to roll it out flat. With a little help from my family, I would make a snowman or other simple object from it. I enjoyed using my mother's cookie cutters too. Together we would make Play Doh cookies, and other fun projects. I also remember pressing a ball of Play Doh onto the comics section of the newspaper and coming away with a print of the comics on the flattened piece of clay.
As I got older, I enjoyed sharing my Play Doh experience with my friends, and my younger sister. We would sit at the table and build more complex things not that we had a little more skill and coordination. I enjoyed helping my little sister learn how to play with Play Doh and build her own creations.
Once I had children of my own, I rediscovered the joys of Play Doh. I had come full-circle and sat, this time with my own children and together shared the creative pleasures of making our own Play Doh creations.
I always prefer to keep my children away from carpets and upholstery with their Play Doh, because sometimes it tends to be dropped and mashed into the carpet. If this happens, don't try to get it out with hot water of cleaning solutions. This will only make matters worse.
The best way to get it out is to first pick up as much as you can. Then allow it to dry completely before loosening it with a stiff brush. You can then pick up the pieces or vacuum the remaining crumbs from the carpet. Once this is done, you can use cold water and a gentle soap to clean up any remaining residue if necessary. I do recommend that you are careful about where you use it though because some staining may occur on light colored fabrics.
Since that time, I have enjoyed sharing my secret obsession with Play Doh on many occasions. Through 13 years of volunteer work with young children, I have enjoyed both the fun and learning skills involved with Play Doh. As a child, it never occurred to me that this fun activity was actually teaching shapes and color recognition, eye/hand coordination, and imagination, problem solving and more. The fine motor skills involved in working with Play Doh creations, are an important part of a youngster's education.
Playing with Play Doh can also be a boost to your child's self-esteem. I loved to see the beaming smiles on the faces of the children as they proudly announced, "Look what I made." Of course, it is also important to praise the child for what a wonderful job they have done.
Play Doh is also non-toxic, which means that if your child happens to take a bite of that cookie they just made, it is nothing to panic about. Although they will not give out the exact ingredient list, they do tell you that it is primarily a mixture of water, salt and flour. It doesn't contain peanuts, peanut oil, or any milk byproducts. They also mention that although it is mostly non-allergenic, children allergic to wheat gluten could have an allergic reaction.
The scent is not extremely pleasant, so although your creation may look good enough to eat, your child may not be quite as tempted as they would if it had a more appetizing smell. It is not offensive either however. It brings back childhood memories.
Play Doh is a soft pliable dough that is available in a variety of colors. The Playskool Play-Doh Classic Colors 4 Pack contains 4 tubs of Play Doh modeling compound. Each tub contains 6 oz. of the brightly colored dough. The colors in this set are School Bus Yellow, Snowman White, Fire Engine Red, True Blue. The bright colors provide a colorful stimulation to your child and assist in holding their interest.
Most children can easily be occupied for up to an hour with Play Doh, making it an especially useful item to keep in your home for those times when you really need to get something done. I would often set my children at the kitchen table with their Play Doh while I cooked supper, did my baking or my dishes. This way they were close by, within my sight, and happily playing while I did what I needed to do.
Always remember when playing with Play Doh to return it to the container immediately after use to prevent drying. If your Play Doh does start to get dried out though, there is still hope. You can revive your Play Doh by adding water, one drop at a time, and working it into the Play Doh until it returns to the proper consistency. You can also moisten it by wrapping it in a moistened paper towel, putting it back in the container, and leaving it overnight. I found that adding a drop of water at a time until properly moistened worked best for me.
Play Doh is recommended for children 2 years old or older, although you don't have to be a kid to enjoy this. Many adults I know still enjoy working with Play Doh. As a matter of fact, I have a couple of cans of this sitting by my desk right now, and enjoy playing with it on a regular basis. I have found that it is a wonderful stress reliever. If you make a ball out of it, you can squeeze it in the same way you would squeeze a stress ball. It is a good consistency for this. It is also therapeutic to just roll it around in your hands. I also enjoy taking my place among the children and making my own unique creations though, just like I did when I was a kid.
I remember as a kid, making something wonderful that I wanted to keep forever. I had spent a great deal of time creating a dog that looked quite realistic (or at least I thought so at the time) and wanted to preserve it. Unfortunately, Play Doh is not designed for this. Play Doh is made for repeated use, and tends to crack and break when allowed to dry. There are other types of clay available for this type of project, so don't bother trying it with Play Doh. It is a wonderful product, but is just not made for that purpose.
As I mentioned earlier, there are 4 colors included in this set, but there are lots of additional colors available for purchase. This is just one of many sets. Some of the additional products you may want to purchase along with this one include other color packs, molds, and accessories. There are a lot of Play Doh items out there, and more coming out all of the time. Play Doh is from Hasbro and can be found in most stores. It is inexpensive, and can provide hours of fun for your children.
Play Doh is a timeless product. It has been around for many years, and I have no doubt it will remain a favorite of children for a long time to come.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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Epinions.com ID:
kelly60
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Member: Kelly
Location: Northern Michigan, USA
Reviews written: 364
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