Let your child get hands-on with clay and create a magical Christmas kingdom.

“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingling all the way…” Nowadays, whether on the streets or in restaurants and supermarkets, snowmen, wreaths, lights, Christmas trees… everywhere is filled with a romantic atmosphere. It seems everyone has unanimously declared that this warm and joyful Christmas season is shining brilliantly. Our family’s Christmas tree is up and running—how about yours?

This month, besides the regular Christmas party at my older son’s school, we also teamed up with fellow parents to attend parent-child DIY activities and watch stage plays. There’s also the annual gift exchange and dinner gathering organized by colleagues—Christmas month is truly packed with laughter and surprises. There are so many parent-child Christmas activities, it really keeps parents busy non-stop.

Of course, what children look forward to most during Christmas every year is the gifts they hope Santa will quietly bring them at night. In childhood memories, Christmas is one of the happiest and most precious parts of a child’s life. Besides decorating with your child, selecting gifts is no small matter—have you prepared Christmas gifts for your kids yet?

With so many types of toys available on the market, parents must have many considerations when choosing toys for their children. Are the materials safe? Are they reusable to avoid wasting resources? Of course, aside from that, choosing the right toys can also help children “learn through play” and “get smarter the more they play”!

Actually, playing with clay may seem like a simple joy to adults, but when children immerse themselves in a world of rich colors and ever-changing shapes, it helps connect their visual nerves and brain optimally, stimulating brain development. They can also learn color recognition through combining different colors and train organizational skills by forming shapes with points, lines, and surfaces, stimulating sensory integration, allowing them to unleash boundless creativity during play. Sometimes when I run out of ideas to entertain my kids, just handing them a few boxes of clay keeps them happily molding from morning till night without getting tired at all.

The world’s leading brand of clay, “Play-Doh,” is a toy and educational tool that has accompanied many children and adults as they grow up. Its rich and colorful product series adds different kinds of fun to play, sparking creativity and sensory learning through play.

I think many parents might avoid letting their children use stamps, play with clay, or play in the sand due to the hassle, but as long as you prepare in advance—with a large sheet of drawing paper or a clean plastic mat—you’ll surely discover how astonishing a child’s imagination and creativity can be.

Play-Doh’s “Happy Little Chef” series has always been a super popular item. This “Cupcake Carnival Playset”—just look at that pink box, isn’t it super eye-catching? Not just little girls, even my older son’s eyes widened and he gasped in surprise when it came out: “Is this my gift?!” Even the little one followed closely behind, super excited: “Yahoo~ Can I play too?!”

All accessories can be assembled by the child themselves, helping train their ability to put things together. It comes with various molds of different shapes and sizes—not just for the machine, but even the bottom of the cups and the back of the Ferris wheel can be molded. Like all kinds of cookies, land animals, underwater worlds, as well as items like bows, little flowers, stars…etc.! It makes full use of every bit of space.

What’s particularly special is that besides clay, there are also three cans of “cream flower clay” with a very unique texture. The feel of cream flower clay is very unique—it’s like fluffy mousse. Compared to regular clay, it’s softer and easier to shape, usually suitable for more delicate details. Aside from using the molds on the machine to press favorite patterns, you can also use two differently shaped cream flower makers to decorate cupcakes even more beautifully. Not just kids—even I, mom, was super tempted—I rolled up my sleeves and started molding too.

Besides using hands to roll, knead, and pinch, you can also use tools to squeeze, press, and cut the clay, or even various sized stamping molds. These tiny movements can help develop muscles, enhance flexibility, and improve focus.

By creating different patterns through the same shapes, children gain more creative inspiration and logical thinking. And every time they finish stamping, they show an incredibly proud smile.

Stars, flowers, hearts, cherries, leaves, shells, bows… are all the stars of cake decoration. The included ice cream scoop and cupcake molds make every piece a delicate and luxurious clay dessert—no skills needed at all. Even a 2-year-old mini master can become a baking pro with the ready-made molds.

The decorated cupcakes can then be placed on the Ferris wheel display—and the Ferris wheel actually spins.

In just a few weeks, it’ll be Christmas, so don’t forget to try out the festive “Christmas-themed macaron” series. And mom just couldn’t stop molding—she got totally addicted. Originally, she only wanted to let Santa Claus make an appearance, but then even Snowy, wreaths, and gCoutangqia?Rongbawo∥Langji?Nuochen×Shua∈Qianhuang?“Nijuedezijiyoubanfalema?

Additionally, for effective learning, it’s essential to first spark a child’s interest. Play-Doh isn’t just about colors—it can also teach knowledge. This “Alphabet and Numbers Playset” is personally highly recommended by me.

It comes with “vibrant 8-color clay” and individual models of the “26 English letters” and “10 numbers,” all designed with easy-to-grip handles for little hands. Compared to learning letters from books, playing with clay while learning English and numbers is much more fun. Mom even briefly thought about baking letter-shaped cookies—haha.

Although the little one can sing the ABC song, they still don’t quite recognize the letters. This set is perfect for letting little hands press the letters themselves, and it’s also a great opportunity to learn colors and letters. Every time we teach a letter, the little one repeats after me. My older son has now advanced to simple words and even insists on pressing his and his brother’s English names.

If they ever develop a Bopomofo version in the future, I’ll definitely get it again.We can even do little quizzes, having the child complete the specified letters or numbers following mom’s instructions.

My preschool-aged older son has also started learning addition and subtraction, so this is a great time to explore even more ways to play. Clay is truly super popular with kids. Let’s play “spot the difference”! Can you spot anything unusual in the picture below?

Play-Doh offers a very diverse and rich range of products. If you get hooked on molding, there are also individual color refill cans for sale. Besides today’s shared Happy Little Chef and learning series, there are also Rainbow Dash and Disney series sets, all perfect for both kids and adults to enjoy the fun of hands-on creation.

While accompanying your child in creative play, you’re also helping them develop language skills and communication coordination. At home, sometimes busy with chores, the two kids take turns bombarding my ears: “Mommy, play with me!” What kids really want is just family companionship.

Creating unique cupcakes together with your child is such a joyful experience. You can also let them experiment with mixing different colors to create new ones. Like red + yellow = orange / blue + red = purple. Different ratios can even create lighter or darker shades. Sometimes mixing clay is also a chance to experiment, and using color-mixing techniques avoids waste. Just playing with color variations can keep you and your child entertained for ages, with endless laughter.

Still wondering what gift to pick? Trust me—Play-Doh will be a huge hit with kids. At our house, we end up molding until the end of the day, often ending in a tug-of-war over the clay, with tears and laughter all around.

Quickly pick an unforgettable Christmas gift for your child.
http://www.hasbro.com/zh-hant-tw/brands/playdoh/
All Play-Doh series products are available at toy “anti” stores, department store toy counters, Carrefour, and major retailers across Taiwan.

Read more: