I am an elementary art teacher and I do use play dough once in a while only in my pre-k (4 year old) and kindergarten classes. It is good for building their finger muscles needed for fine motor control.

Sometimes I use it pre clay to practice techniques since it’s much less messy than clay and doesn’t dry out the real clay. I have also made my own dough and added cinnamon and done air dried creations.

Other art teachers use it as well. So one art teacher experience does not represent everyone.

I used to eat playdoh in preschool in 1990.

Op here. I just ask her, and she tells me she has used real clay to make art project at school. She misses play doh because they come in different color and easy to play with. Due to covid, maybe she did not get to play much play doh at daycare, and every kid only gets one color for not sharing. She is on the childish side and my bad that I thought she has outgrown play doh long time ago. I did not know that she misses play doh.

Real clay in ES art.

You should help her make her own.

Sounds like it's on you to provide.

At our ES we use real clay that gets glazed and fired in the kiln

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it contains gluten and some kids are allergic/have celiac.

Then maybe they should refrain from eating it.

Amazing how we keep finding new problems.

Even if they don't eat it, it's still on their hands, other people's hands, and surfaces. Anyone who is young enough to play with play dough is young enough that they might put their fingers in their mouths.

Why is having play dough so important in elementary school that it's worth making people sick?

It was never at my public school back in the day. Just buy some for play at home.

Anonymous wrote:Because it contains gluten and some kids are allergic/have celiac.

Then maybe they should refrain from eating it.

Amazing how we keep finding new problems.

Why do you need it at school?

Play-Doh is more about playing than making art. It was always a home activity, not a school activity, when I was growing up.

Because it contains gluten and some kids are allergic/have celiac.

Art teachers usually introduce real clay, which they can fire and then take home. In a setting of classes with 25 kids, play dough would quickly get all the colors mashed together and get everyone’s germs and lint and stuff on it.

Ask the art teacher

Why elementary school do not offer Play-Doh as part of art curriculum? Is it because due to the high cost, not-reusable, and mess of playing with Play-Doh? My 2nd grader DD is so happy that I take out Play-Doh for her to play now making food, and she says she has not played Play-Doh since she graduated from daycare.