Anatomy of an Ear (FREE PRINTABLE) Playdough Mat and the Best Homemade Playdough Recipe
We like to use playdough mats in our play labs to spark children’s curiosity and prompt them to build their own three dimensional models. This “Anatomy of an Ear” playdough mat was a big hit in our sound unit, so we’re sharing our FREE download so you can play along at home.
Using this diagram of an ear, children can create their own model of the ear using different colors of playdough for each part. We’ve figured out the best recipe for homemade playdough and are sharing it with you!
Homemade Play Dough Recipe:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup salt
1 cup flour
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. cream of tarter
Food coloring or unsweetened Kool-Aid
Add food coloring or Kool-Aid to the water. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, using a whisk will help remove lumps. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture forms a large ball. Let cool.
You can start your lesson off by asking your children what function their ears serve. Talk to them about the shape of the ear—that it’s a perfect funnel for vibrations and these vibrations are called sound waves. Those vibrations are transmitted to the brain for interpretation and that gives us our sense of hearing.
If you try this at home we’ve love to see your three dimensional creations. Tag us on Instagram @kidlabraleigh or leave a comment below and we’ll be all ears (Ha ha…see what we did there?)