I’m excited to share some fruity fun ideas for your family this summer!  Creating together is not only fun but playing with dough helps with sensory processing and builds fine motor skills.  The added bonus is the dough is scented. Since you cannot eat the actual dough, use your imagination and taste the matching fruits.  I’ve included awesome links from fellow bloggers and have given you ideas for coordinating activities/crafts. So, if done together, the dough and crafts add olfactory (smell), tactile (touch), fine motor (cutting, writing), oral-motor (tasting and chewing the fruit), and reading a recipe/following directions. Involving many senses and skills is best as many pathways in the brain become engaged!    

**This post contains helpful links for the products we used to create our fun matching craft activities.  Each purchase you make supports us and helps us to continue to provide FREE and fun therapeutic advice to you.  

First up is WATERMELON by Homespun With Love. Here’s a matching activity:  Cut slices of watermelon and ask your child to pick out all of the seeds.  Let them dry and save for planting. Or, cut out a watermelon slice shape from red or deep pink construction paper.  Dip fingertips into brown ink and press onto the watermelon slice.  If children have sensory sensitivities, allow them to use the eraser tip of a pencil to make the seeds.

Next is Elemeno-P Kids WILD ORANGE!  Matching activity:  Cut out a circle out of orange construction paper.  Use tissue paper in orange and green to cut out small squares. Glue the squares onto the circle to add ‘skin’ to the orange. Cut out leaves and use the green tissue paper to decorate them.  

Raising Kinley is up next with LEMON LIME dough. It’s my favorite scent! Mix together yellow and green buttons (found at a craft store or here on Amazon). Sort by color or string by alternating yellow and green buttons to make a lemon-lime necklace.  

Yummy CINNAMON APPLE dough from The Chirping Moms.  Stuff a paper bag with tissue paper or newspaper. Add some cinnamon or put a few drops of essential oil. Tie the top with yarn. Paint the bottom red and the top green (for the leaves). Toss the paper ‘apple’ back and forth to fun music to work on coordination and gross motor skills.  

Now try Elemeno-P Kids’ LEMON dough. Matching activity:  Cut a lemon into halves. Dip in different colored ink and stamp onto paper to create fun designs. Another idea is to make lemonade together!

POMEGRANATE dough from My Nearest and Dearest.  Cut out a pomegranate shape in red construction paper. Use red yarn or string and dip into glue. Press the string around the edge of the paper shape. Use a glue stick for children who have tactile defensiveness. Use red sequins for the seeds. Here’s the Amazon link: sequins 

CRANBERRY dough from Natural Beach Living is up next. While you make the dough, try drinking cranberry juice!  Use peanut or soy butter for the ‘glue.’ Gather or buy pine cones (Amazon link here). Place the butter glue on the pine cone and roll in finely chopped or mashed cranberries. Tie on a string to make a yummy bird feeder. This activity involves so many textures, tastes, and scents! Plus, it makes the birds happy 🙂

Last is PEPPERMINT dough from Paging Fun Mums. Cut a triangle cone out of a cardboard box and draw diagonal lines. Use puffy paint (Amazon link) and add green food color. Place the puffy paint ‘ice cream’ on top of the cone.  Add sprinkles or colored sequins to the top.

Which dough recipe is your favorite? I’d love to see pictures of your dough and matching activity.  

Don’t forget….my new book, The Weighted Blanket Guide was released yesterday! It’s endorsed by Temple Grandin, Shannon Penrod and many others.   Get your copy here.  Thanks for reading!