Support fine motor skills and pretend play with this playdough birds preschool craft. This open-ended activity is fun for your spring theme, and can easily be included in a lesson plan about birds.
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Provide fine motor fun with this playdough birds preschool craft. It’s an easy activity to set up and it’s practically mess-free!
A playdough and feathers activity invites early learners to engage with materials that have different colors and textures, providing sensory experiences along with fine motor play.
This is a child-led activity, meaning kids will proceed in their own ways to create as they play. The instructions and illustrations are meant to be a guideline.
Related: Preschool lesson plan about birds free printable
Support fine motor skills and creative play with this playdough-and-feathers bird craft.
Playdough birds preschool craft
Kids will make the playdough birds in their own ways. Guide the play by engaging in conversation and offering suggestions as kids welcome your input.
Results will differ according to how kids squeeze and shape the clay, and add finishes. Allow time for kids to explore the materials without an expected outcome.
Materials
Playdough – store bought (aff. link) – This bundle of small containers provides lots of different colors.
Playdough – homemade – This post has two easy recipes.
Small colorful feathers (aff. link)
Small brown feathers (aff. link) – These are similar to the ones I purchased at our local craft store.
Small fork
Build a bird with playdough
Step 1. Roll clay around between your hands to make a smooth ball for the body. Make a smaller ball for the head.
Demonstrate techniques such as rolling clay in your hands according to kids individual interest and skill levels.
Step 2. Place a small piece of broken crayon between the head and the body to hold the head in place.
Step 3. Make a beak by pinching a small piece of playdough between thumb and finger.
Step 4. Create toes by pressing the fork into pieces of playdough OR by pinching small sections of playdough between finger and thumb.
Step 5. Set your playdough bird on the feet. Press down gently to secure the body onto the feet. You can also add a short piece of crayon between the body and the feet as you did with the head and body in step 2.
Step 6. Add two tiny playdough eyes and beak to the head.
Step 7. Push feathers into the side and/or tail.
Related: All About Small Animals Printable Series
Kids will be creative with their choices of colors and types of feathers, as well as the placement of the feathers.
Display your playdough birds in a simple nest made with shredded paper. This can also extend the activity into small world play.
Browse other options for building nests in this roundup of bird nest crafts.
MORE BIRD THEME RESOURCES
