Annabelle, my oldest daughter, loves fireworks. She does not love waiting for the fireworks to begin. This year I planned a few activities to bring along that would keep her busy while she waited. Hands-on, creative sensory play to help pass the time. 4th of July Playdough Kits! This playdough kit came together quickly and has entertained Annabelle and her friends throughout July.

We love to make playdough and slime at our house, so Annabelle was pumped to help me. We made red, white, and blue playdough (Mothercould’s playdough recipe is our favorite!). When it was completely cool, I wrapped a chunk of each color in plastic wrap and placed them in a disposable meal container with compartments.

red, white, and blue homemade playdough sitting on a counter
Then, I filled the container with as many red, white, and blue doodads as I could find:

The container helps keep the playdough fresh, is easy to throw into our bag, and the lid worked great as surface for building while we were at the fireworks.

a child's hand pushing a glittery red star into playdough.
It was a hit with Annabelle and her older cousins as they waited for the fireworks to begin. She has continued to ask to play with her playdough kit and even created this centerpiece for our kitchen table.

a mixture of red, white, and blue playdough serves as a base, with a red and white striped straw, multiple American flags, and firework toothpicks sticking out of it.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself tempted to make your own creations!

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