# Tracing and Coloring with Playdough
> Slip coloring pages into clear plastic bags and let kids press playdough onto the pictures to trace and 'color' them. The bag keeps the dough off the paper, so kids can peel it off and start again or swap in a new picture.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/play-dough-play-tracing-and-coloring-with-playdough/
- Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: low
- Time: prep 25 min, activity 20 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: fine-motor, tracing, colors, creativity
- Cautions: wheat-gluten, food-dye, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 cup White flour (household)
- 0.25 cup Salt (household)
- 1 packet Kool-Aid drink mix
- 0.67 cup Boiling water (household)
- 1 tbsp Oil (household)
- Coloring sheets (pages cut from a coloring book)
- 1 piece Clear ziplock bags (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of kool aid: Any playdough you have on hand (The author says any playdough works; Kool-Aid dough is just her kids' favorite for the smell.)

## Safety
- Adult handles the boiling water when making the dough. Let the dough cool before kids touch it.
- Homemade playdough is salty and is not food. Don't let kids eat it, and keep it away from pets.
- Plastic bags can be a suffocation hazard. Supervise young children and put the bags away after play.
- Kool-Aid dough may stain hands, clothes and surfaces.

## Before you start
- Make the Kool-Aid playdough, one batch per color, and let it cool.
- Cut pictures from your favorite coloring book.

## Steps
1. Adult: mix 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup salt and 1 packet Kool-Aid. Add 1 tbsp oil and 2/3 cup boiling water, stir, then knead into dough once cool.
2. Slide a coloring picture into a clear plastic bag.
3. Set the playdough colors close by to choose from.
4. Pick your favorite colors for each part of the picture.
5. Press and flatten the playdough onto the picture to trace and color it.
6. Don't like a color combination? Peel the dough off the bag and start again.
7. When you're done, swap in a new picture for a whole new coloring and tracing experience.

## Tips
- The plastic bags make clean-up easy because they keep the dough from sticking to the paper.
- You can use any playdough you have on hand, but my kids LOVE the smell of Kool-Aid playdough.
- Make it a toddler playdough activity by using simple, big pictures.
- Pack a few in smaller quart or sandwich bags for a busy bag or road travel.
- Play dough is a mom's best friend for road trips and group play. With just a few accessories it's an open-ended activity.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

It's been a while since we shared any play dough play ideas. However it does not mean the kids have lost interest. They have loved **[play dough play](https://www.funlittles.com/playdough-play/)** and still do. To make play dough play different and even more interesting that it is, we did a semi-learning and playing activity. Coloring with play dough! For this I made a batch of Kool-Aid playdough. You can easily any playdough you have hand. My kids LOVE the smell of Kool-Aid playdough and there are plenty of homemade playdough recipes. I use a simple, no-cook playdough recipe.

- 1 cup white flour
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1 packet Kool-Aid
- 2/3 cup of boiling water
- 1 TBSP oil

 **What we used:**

- Playdough
- Coloring sheets
- Clear ziplock bags

**Play dough Play set up:** Cut pictures from your favorite coloring book and put them in a clear plastic bag. Set up the play dough close by to choose from. That's all the set up you need to do. You can easily adjust this to make it a toddler playdough activity by using simple, big pictures. Toddlers love the squishy texture of play dough and the [**play dough number activity**](https://www.funlittles.com/math-activity-play-dough-fingers-for-toddlers/) we did was big fun for older toddlers.  During this play dough play your child can choose their favorite colors to trace, color the picture. This also allows for easy clean up as the plastic bags keep the dough from sticking on to the paper. Don't like a color combination? clean up the sheet and start again. Once you are done with a picture simply swap in a new picture for a whole new coloring and tracing experience.  You can also pack up a few of these in smaller quart,sandwich bags for a **busy bag or road travel.**  **[Play dough](https://www.funlittles.com/valentines-day-activities-rose-scented-playdough/)** is a very wonderful **[sensory play element](https://www.funlittles.com/colorful-play-doh-idea/)** and is a moms best friend for road trips and group play. With just a few accessories it provides an open ended activity for children. Here are a few more shots form our playdough art activity. 

Thanks for reading.

Some more play dough play ideas. [](https://www.funlittles.com/math-activity-play-dough-fingers-for-toddlers/)
[](https://www.funlittles.com/playdough-play/)

Rose scented play dough

[](https://www.funlittles.com/valentines-day-activities-rose-scented-playdough/)