10 Play Dough STEM Challenges for the Classroom

I was cleaning out the TCEA Maker Room when I ran across my box of play dough. I had almost forgotten what a great classroom staple it is. It is reusable, inexpensive, and does not cost an arm and a leg. And then there is the smell. In a completely unscientific ChatGPT ranking, play dough landed in the top three most recognizable classroom smells. You can smell it now, can’t you?

So, of course, I started thinking about what else we could do with it.

Play Dough STEM One-Minute Challenges are quick, hands-on, and easy to set up. Students have just 60 seconds to squish, roll, build, balance, measure, and problem-solve their way through each task. And the best part? You don’t need fancy equipment.

What You Need

For the challenges, you will need:

• Play dough
• A one-minute timer
• A ruler or tape measure for a few of the challenges

Ten Challenges to Try

The set includes:

1. Roll With It
2. Tall Order
3. Nest It
4. Shape Sprint
5. Pattern Power
6. Arch Challenge
7. Think in Shapes
8. Twist and Turn
9. Curvy Creation
10. Perfect Pair

Some challenges ask students to build for height or width. Others focus on shapes, patterns, spatial reasoning, or careful construction. I especially like that students have to make decisions quickly. Do I make my tower taller or strengthen the bottom? How thin can I roll the play dough without it breaking? How can I make this spiral stand on its own? That is a lot of thinking packed into one minute.

Use Them Your Way

You do not have to complete all ten challenges at once.

Try one as a:

• STEM station
• Brain break
• Bell ringer
• Team-building activity
• Friday challenge
• Indoor recess activity
• Party games with take-home play dough

Or save the whole set for a Play Dough STEM Challenge Day.

I created a presentation so you can display one challenge at a time, along with a two-page team sheet where students can record their results and keep track of their total points.

Even More STEM Resources

If your students are ready for more building, creating, and problem-solving, here are a few more resources I have created. Hopefully the list below includes something you can use in your classroom, makerspace, or STEM space.

• Astronaut Firsts
  • A 12-astronaut presentation highlighting notable space “firsts,” with each astronaut’s photo, achievement, and date.
• Things We Have Because of Space Travel
  • A 12-question multiple-choice trivia game that challenges students to identify inventions and technologies connected to space exploration.
• Brick City Challenge Cards
  • A set of 16 Brick City design challenges that ask students to use building materials to solve real-world city problems through creativity, testing, and problem-solving.
• Brick CIty Super Hero Trading Cards
  • A collectible set of 16 Brick City Hero cards, with one hero connected to each challenge, that can be awarded as students complete the building activities.
• Solar Eclipse
  • A “It’s All About the Sun” word game where students use clues to identify words or phrases that include the word sun.
• Mars Mayhem Challenge Cards
  • A set of 16 LEGO challenge cards that give students unexpected problems to solve while designing and adapting a base camp on Mars.
• Stem-Tastic Timelines
  • A visual sequencing activity where students arrange STEM innovations in chronological order across topics such as transportation, communication, space exploration, and energy.
• STEM This or That Rapid Fire
  • A fast-paced choice activity that gets students making quick decisions between STEM-related options and sharing which one they would choose.

Not bad for a box of play dough I almost forgot about. Sometimes the best classroom ideas are already sitting on the shelf, just waiting for a second chance. Ready, set, squish!