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If your child enjoys playing with Play-Doh and you want to add a STEM lesson to their play, I’ve got the experiment for you today!
This experiment gives children the chance to learn about the seven continents and the shape of those continents in a hands-on way. It also provides a lesson in spatial awareness and builds fine motor skills.
Get ready for a trip around the world using Play-Doh and a little imagination!
How to make the Play-Doh Planet STEM experiment
Supplies you will need
For this experiment, you’ll need:
- These FREE continent printables
- Play-Doh (assorted colors)
- Optional: laminator (we have this one and love it!) and laminating sheets
Here is a great National Geographic kid’s book about the continents and exploring each continent in depth that would be a great add-on to this experiment!
Before you start
I did not make these printables proportional to their comparative sizes. The goal of this experiment was to have the children recognize the shapes and curves of each continent.
Instructions
Here is how to do this experiment with your child:
Step 1: Print the FREE printable
Print out the free printable linked in the Supplies section. This printable includes the 7 continents, each on their own sheet of paper.
If you want to be able to use these sheets multiple times, I suggest laminating them.
Step 2: Talk about the continents and provide examples
Show your child the printables and talk about their shapes and curves.
What do they notice about how each continent looks? Are there any continents that look similar?
We want to make sure the child knows how to recognize the little curves and pieces of each continent so they can easily replicate it with Play-Doh.
Step 3: Begin molding the continents
If your children are younger, this is a great activity to do together!
The Play-Doh is very hard to remove from paper, so be sure to laminate your continent printables if you want to use the dough again.
The STEM behind the Play-Doh Planet experiment
This experiment teaches:
- The 7 continents
- Spatial awareness
- Fine motor skills
How it works
This experiment is a hands-on way to learn about the seven continents while building spatial awareness and fine motor skills.
Exploring the continents with Play-Doh allows young children to learn more about the world in a playful manner, because who doesn’t love playing with Play-Doh?
Kids can learn about the names of the continents and start memorizing them. Also, using the free templates provided, they can learn about the general shape of each continent, which will help them start to discern them from one another.
The 7 continents
This experiment is a great way to learn about the seven continents in a playful, hands-on way.
Learning about the seven continents is an important jumping-off point for children to learn about each continent in more depth. This experiment makes the association between what the continent’s name is and the general outline and shape of the continent.
Once children become familiar with the continents, you can dive deeper by exploring:
- Cultures: Each continent has unique cultures, languages, and traditions. When kids learn about different cultures, it opens their eyes to diversity.
- Science: Exploring the different climates, ecosystems, and natural wonders of each continent can spark scientific interest and curiosity.
- History: Understanding the history of different continents helps kids appreciate the evolution of human civilization and the interconnectedness of global events.
- Geography: A natural next step is to explore each continent’s geography and learn more about them.
By learning about the seven continents, kids can develop a broader understanding of the world, which can help them become more informed, engaged, and compassionate global citizens.
Spatial awareness
Children can develop a better understanding of the shapes and relative sizes of the continents.
This experiment explores the shapes and geographical makeup of each continent (remember, not the proportional size though!). It helps kids to visualize the Earth’s surface through shape recognition: learning the unique shape of each continent, like the long, slender shape of South America.
If you have elementary-aged children, you can also use this experiment as an opportunity to teach cardinal directions, by adding your own “North”, “South”, “East”, and “West” compass to each printable. That will help children understand cardinal directions with respect to the continents!
Finally, this experiment shows kids about the general makeup of each continent, like which continent has islands in close proximity to the mainland.
By engaging with the seven continents, children develop a strong foundation for spatial awareness, which is essential for various academic subjects, such as geography, science, and mathematics. It also helps them navigate the physical world more effectively.
Fine motor skills
Shaping and molding the Play-Doh helps children develop fine motor skills, plus it’s a really fun and engaging activity for young kids!
More experiments about Earth Science to try out with your child
- Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils: Teaching kids about paleontology
- Rainbow Rain Science Experiment
- Crafting the World: Moveable felt world map adventure!
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