FREE Holiday printables for your little elves! These adorable holiday scene coloring pages get everyone into the spirit!

P.S. Did you download our Winter Holiday 2021 colouring pages, Halloween 2021 colouring pages, Summer 2021 colouring pages, Spring 2021 colouring pages, Summer 2020 colouring pages, and Fall 2020 colouring pages yet?

If your child had a great time with Dough Parlour’s colouring pages, then please tag us on Instagram or Facebook (@DoughParlour on both), we’d love to see them!

Download each one individually by clicking on the ones you like best, or download them all at once »

Easy, Low Mess Crafts Everyone Will Enjoy!

The summer has flown by so fast! With fall vibes in the air and children back to school, we wanted to share some indoor fall activities to keep the fun going. Since there are only a few hours after school to do something with your children, it’s important to keep activities “easy to do.” This way, you won’t dread doing it and likely get it done.

Trips out to the farm are a great fall activity, but not when it’s raining and cold. So here are a few easy clean-up, fun activities your children (and you) can keep busy with.

Paper Plate Crafts

When we think of indoor fall activities, it’s normally brown or orange. But with paper plate crafts, you can do any colour and include a fall theme too, if you like!

Paper plates are usually something we all have in the kitchen. They make the perfect “face” for any animal, pumpkin, or even an imaginary monster. They can even be hung like a picture frame if your child prefers drawing something. The fun part of this craft is the actual paper plate since it’s something different than flat, boring paper (kids oddly enough, notice these things)!

With a few markers and, if you’re up to it, some construction paper, glue, and scissors, your children can pour their ideas onto their plates.

Here are some easy paper plate craft ideas you can try!
• Flowers
• Car
• Butterfly
• Fall Themed Paper Plate Crafts

Puppets

Sock puppets or brown paper bag puppets are lots of fun to make. Your children can create endless puppets with a bit of glue, pipe cleaners, or yarn. They can use their puppets to put on a play or enjoy the moment with their new friend(s)!

You can even do an indoor fall activity play date! Invite friends over and make it a puppet party! If children get really into it, they can also create props and make a puppet box to put on a skit. The sky is the limit, and it doesn’t take much to do.

• No Sew Sock Puppets
• Easy Paper Bag Puppets
• Fall Leaf Puppet Craft (uses popsicle stick – no sock or bag needed)
• Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppets

Fall Dough Play Mat

Fall activities are surrounded by apple orchards, pumpkin patches, jams, leaves, candy apples, and the biggest celebration in Fall; Thanksgiving! We’ve created a double-sided, laminated mat that features these fall themes.

One side of the mat has a tree trunk that desperately needs some fall leaves to fill it up! Children can use six delicious scoops and a handy leaf cutter from our Fall Box to complete the tree. It’s hours of focused creative attention: rolling, cutting, placing, and designing their tree.

On the flip side of our double-sided mat is an empty plate. The sky is the limit for this one! Children can fill the plate with whatever they can think of. We’re sure they’d be inspired by the yummy smells of their dough scoops! A special touch was added to cultivate gratitude and focus children’s thoughts. At the bottom of the mat, we’ve written, “What are you grateful for?” This small addition is a powerful teaching opportunity for parents to nurture a sense of appreciation in their children.

Dough Parlour Fall Box

Since play dough is our thing, we’d like to nominate our Fall Box as the perfect indoor fall activity!

Our Fall Box perfectly fits into the category of an easy-to-do indoor activity. Everything a child would need for hours of fun and easy clean-up is included in each box. Our Fall Box offers children neat stampers, cutters, and an array of colourful, fall-scented dough Scoops!

Our Fall Box Includes:
🍎 Candy Apple
🎃 Pumpkin Spice
🤎 Cinnamon Roll
🥧 Apple Pie
🖤 Blackberry Jam
🍏Caramel Apple
✅ Four stampers – a turkey, a pumpkin, an acorn, and a leaf
✅ Two BONUS metal cutters - a large pumpkin and an animal claw (turn upside down and use it to make a ghost!)

Whatever indoor fall activities you do, remember to have fun! A little mess may create more work, but it also gives you priceless memories! What indoor fall activities do you enjoy doing with your child? Share your ideas below!

3 Reasons a Trip to the Farm Benefits Children 

Fall is the perfect time to visit the farm!

With the cooler weather hitting us and the mosquitos gone, it’s a great time to enjoy the countryside. Taking a trip to a farm is one of those activities that don’t need planning or a large budget. Children love the farm, no matter their ages. Nothing quite captivates a child more than being able to run freely and pet animals. 

There are so many reasons children benefit from being on a farm (apart from their farm play mat coming to life!). Here are a few:

Builds Confidence

These days children are restricted a lot more than they used to be since we have to ensure they are safe. This can sometimes lower a child's confidence because they don’t have the space to explore. However, going to the farm is quite the opposite. Farms generally have a large secure area where children can play and freely explore. Sometimes that includes bumping into animals or simply just enjoying the outdoors. 

The farm is a “hands-on” activity that encourages parents to engage with their children and their new environment. Alongside the support of their parent(s), this subtle change in environment can do wonders to a child’s confidence. 

Some children come to a farm slightly afraid of animals but leave feeling empowered when they do pet one. For others, it might be a climbing activity or a maze they tackle. As they overcome their fears with the support of their parents and siblings, positive memories are born! This sense of security and accomplishment ultimately builds their self-confidence. 

Promotes Language

Farms are great for all ages, probably because of the animals. Farm animals are a source of inspiration for young children who are building vocabulary and learning speech. While parents may make animal noises for children to mimic, “mooooo-ing” will come to life at the farm!  Children learn sounds and practice the names of animals. 

“‘When we teach children farm animal words and noises, we’re not only teaching them about the many sounds we make in the English language, but also about our culture and the world,’ says Adiaha I. I. A. Franklin, M.D., a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Texas Children’s Hospital.” (Scholastic.com)

Inspires Creativity 

The farm's fresh (and potentially smelly air) is fantastic for our mental health and wellness. The sounds of ducks and the open fields inspire us all. Connecting with nature is a sensory experience. At the farm, children have the opportunity to feel, hear, and smell things that are different from their day-to-day lives. Their minds blossom to the new experiences around them, and as a result, their creativity also blooms. 

Observing animals in real life allows children to take in all the details. Children, by nature, notice details that we no longer see. Everything for a child is “new,” even if they’ve been there before. It’s not just a nose and mouth, but each animal's different nose and mouth.

 In nature, children learn to connect thoughts, experiences, and newfound discoveries into their play.  

“ ’Research shows that children experience profound and diverse benefits through regular contact with nature,’ says Nigel Doar, The Wildlife Trusts’ director of strategy.” (Discover Wild Life)

A Lasting Experience – Farm Play Mat

With every experience, the trip to the farm will come to an end. Most children return home exploding with ideas and play. They start making sounds, walking on all fours, and even trying to eat grass! One parent had her children asking for salad so she could be like a goat. 

Dough Parlor is all about positive play experiences. As a parent-owned operation, we wanted our children’s farm experience to last as long as possible. So, we use our farm play mats just for that. 

The outline of a horse allows children to express their discoveries and fill in the details of a horse. Or our farm play mat can be used to re-enact their entire day at the farm. (link to farm box)

A scoop of dough is all it takes for their imagination to come to life. Try out our horse, sheep, and duck cookie cutters - let the fun continue!

Psst… We also have a Llama play mat in case you bumped into one on your farm trip (they are so cute!).

Do you see any difference in your children returning from the farm? Tell us about it in the comments!

FREE map printables for your those precious moments you need to prep a meal, entertain on a rainy day, or just because we love to colour! Colour the provinces in the Canada and the States in The United States of America - what colours are you going to choose?

Download the PDF »

It’s nearly Christmas! Everyone’s excited to go shopping for gifts and can’t get enough of the lights and collective joy that’s in the air.

Make this holiday season extra special by creating DIY holiday decorations with your kids. Not only will you be decorating your home with ornaments that have meaning, but you’ll also be creating memories your kids will fondly remember for years to come. It might even become a yearly tradition they’ll pass on to their own kids in the future!

These DIY holiday decorations are not just easy to make, they’re also pretty enough to be used as gifts and keepsakes. Your kids (and you!) will surely enjoy making these holiday craft ideas.

Pinecone Christmas Tree

This might be one of the easiest and prettiest DIY decorations there is. In fact, most of the materials you need are probably just sitting around your home:

• Pinecones
• Acrylic paint (you can choose any colours you prefer)
• Small wood slices
• Hot glue gun
• Small paint brushes

Paint the pinecone green. It’s arguably the most popular colour this time of year, but you can use any colour you prefer. White is also a great choice that will go with a green tree or natural theme.

Make sure to cover the entire pinecone with paint including those really small, hard-to-reach crevices. Alternatively, you can just leave those out for a more rustic look.

Next, paint small dots of yellow, blue, red or any colours you like all over the pinecone. This will serve as the tree’s “Christmas lights.” You can experiment further by adding a wooden star on top or glueing silver glitter around the cone to make it sparkly. Once dry, use the hot glue gun to stick the pinecone onto a slice of wood. Voila!

This holiday craft idea might be simple, but it can be used in a variety of ways. You can put cookies and other baked goodies inside or use them as a gift wrapper. You can also hang them on your Christmas tree as an ornament! What you’ll need:

• Brown paper bags of different sizes
• Snowflake rubber stamps
• White, light blue and dark blue ink
• Red and green baker’s twine

Stamp white, light blue, and dark blue snowflakes on the paper bag. Then, punch two small holes at the top. Thread a piece of baker’s twine through the holes and tie it together.

Have any empty tin cans lying around at home? Don’t throw them away just yet! You’ll be needing them, along with these other items, for this Hanukkah DIY craft project:

• Clean cans
• Hammer
• Nail
• Marker
• Light blue, white or silver metallic paint
• Holiday-scented tea candles

Fill the can with water and put it in the freezer for a few hours or until the water turns to ice. This will make it easier for you to punch holes into the can.

Draw a Star of David on the can. Use a nail and hammer to lightly tap holes across the lines you’ve drawn. You can let the ice melt on its own or pour hot water over it to melt it faster. This part of the DIY holiday craft should only be done by an adult.

When the can is dry, let your kids paint the can with metallic paint. Put the tea candle inside and let this pretty tin can lantern light up your home!

Clothespin Snowman

With a little makeover, you can transform boring clothespins into cute holiday decorations. You can use them to hold gift tags, to-do lists, and your favourite artwork made by your kids. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Natural wood clothespins
• Coloured yarn
• Orange-coloured playdough
• White paint
• Black marker
• Paintbrush

Paint the clothespin white. You can coat it once for a more natural look or do several layers for a more even tone. Make sure to open the clothespin once in a while as it dries so it won’t be glued shut.

Once dry, take a short piece of coloured yarn and tie it around the clothespin. It will serve as the snowman’s “scarf.” You can glue the yarn to the clothespin to secure it.

Draw two black eyes, mouth, and buttons on the clothespin using a black marker. Shape the orange playdough into a small triangle and glue it where the nose should be.

Have you taken your pick from our DIY holiday decorations list? We hope you did!

If you’re pressed for time, you can still do some holiday crafting with your kids to get into the holiday spirit with our Winter Holiday Box, Build-Your-Box Gift Set, and our limited edition Holiday Gift Bundle.

All our playdough products are vegan and don’t contain synthetic fragrances and preservatives. If you have any questions about how our products can be stored to make them last longer, get in touch with us or visit our website for more information.

FREE Holiday printables for your little elves! These adorable holiday scene coloring pages get everyone into the spirit!

P.S. Did you download our Halloween 2021 colouring pages, Summer 2021 colouring pages, Spring 2021 colouring pages, Summer 2020 colouring pages and Fall 2020 colouring pages yet?

If your child had a great time with Dough Parlour’s colouring pages, then please tag us on Instagram or Facebook (@DoughParlour on both), we’d love to see them!

Download each one individually by clicking on the ones you like best, or download them all at once »

FREE Halloween printables for your little trick or treater! These adorable furry monster coloring pages allow little ones to be creative using different faces and emotions.

P.S. Did you download our Summer 2021 colouring pages, Spring 2021 colouring pages, Summer 2020 colouring pages and Fall 2020 colouring pages yet?

If your child had a great time with Dough Parlour’s colouring pages, then please tag us on Instagram or Facebook (@DoughParlour on both), we’d love to see them!

Download each one individually by clicking on the ones you like best, or download them all at once »