Playdough isn’t just a fun sensory activity—it’s also an excellent tool for developing communication skills in young children. Through simple, hands-on play, kids can improve their vocabulary, sentence structure, and storytelling skills without even realizing they’re practicing language. At OrbRom Center in Phnom Penh, we incorporate play-based materials like playdough into our speech therapy sessions to create engaging and effective learning experiences.
Why Playdough Is Great for Speech Therapy
Playdough stimulates all kinds of language-rich opportunities. As children roll, squish, shape, and build, they also talk about what they’re doing, describe textures and colors, and follow directions. This process strengthens both expressive and receptive language skills in a relaxed and enjoyable way.
Key language benefits include:
-
Vocabulary building: Colors, shapes, tools, actions, textures
-
Following directions: “Roll the ball,” “Flatten it,” “Make a snake”
-
Descriptive language: “It’s soft,” “It’s long,” “It’s sticky”
-
Sequencing and storytelling: Creating characters and narratives with shapes
-
Turn-taking and social interaction during shared play
Simple Playdough Activities for Language Growth
1. Make and Name
Ask your child to make animals, foods, or household items out of playdough, then name them and describe what they made. Prompt with questions like, “What color is it?” or “What does it do?”
2. Follow the Leader
Model simple instructions using action words: “First, roll it,” “Next, cut it,” “Now, press it.” This helps develop listening and sequencing.
3. Story Time Creations
Use playdough to make characters and props for storytelling. Build a mini scene and encourage your child to tell what’s happening using full sentences.
4. Color Sorting and Categorizing
Sort playdough pieces by color or size and label them. Use comparison words like “bigger,” “smaller,” “same,” and “different.”
5. Pretend Play
Create a pretend bakery, pizza shop, or zoo. This kind of role-play promotes imagination, conversation, and social communication.
How OrbRom Center Uses Play-Based Speech Therapy
At OrbRom Center, our therapists integrate materials like playdough into individualized therapy plans to keep children engaged and motivated. These hands-on activities are especially effective for children with autism, speech delays, or sensory needs.
We also provide parents with easy strategies for using these tools at home. The goal is to make speech therapy a natural part of everyday life—fun, flexible, and full of language opportunities.
For families looking to identify specific speech or language challenges, we offer professional assessments to help set clear goals and track progress.
Play-based learning doesn’t just entertain—it empowers children to express themselves, explore new words, and build the communication skills they need to succeed.
