Cooked From the Book

In our house, baking is always a favorite activity, so turning Play-Doh into pretend cookies felt like a natural extension of that fun. With a rolling pin and a few cookie cutters, kids can create colorful “cookies” of their own while letting their creativity run wild.

My daughter frequently helps me cook and bake the recipes I share here. She knows how to roll dough, cut shapes, and sprinkle toppings like a pro. But this Sunday morning, after a movie morning, she decided to do it all herself.

She disappeared into the playroom to “make us some food.” About twenty minutes later, she emerged with a full plate of Play-Doh cookies for the family. Each of us was invited to choose one. I happily accepted mine.

Sometimes it’s the lazy mornings that spark the most creativity.

The Activity – Play-Doh Cookies

Supplies

• Play-Doh
• Plastic cookie cutters
• Play-Doh pizza oven with tools (includes cheese grater, rolling pin, and other items)
• Play-Doh oven (includes rolling pin, plastic knife, and other items)

How It Went

She rolled out each color of dough, chose her cutters carefully, and created a whole tray of cookies.

What impressed me most was how she decorated them. She used the cheese grater to shave a different color of Play-Doh over the tops like sprinkles. I gave zero pointers. No suggestions. No hovering. In fact, she asked us to stay away until she was done.

When she was happy with her results, she plated her fresh-made cookies and presented them like a true baker. Naturally, I took photos before we “ate.”

Why I Love This Activity

This was completely unsupervised, safe, creative play. She had full control, made the decisions, and experimented without my correction. And I knew she wouldn’t get hurt.

It quietly reinforced skills she practices in the kitchen already, like rolling, cutting, decorating – but in a very low-stakes way. I didn’t have to worry about a hot oven or sharp knives, and she wasn’t rushed. It allowed some space and quiet to let her brain work.

The playroom was a disaster when she was done, but so is my kitchen after a real baking session. Creativity leaves evidence. I totally get that.

Looking for more ideas to make together? Browse the full Made Together collection here.