Seasonal Find: Halloween Play-doh


End of the season sales are a great time to stock up on items to use in your school counseling office!

I love getting a good deal. I especially enjoy end of the season sales! At end of season sales you can find products at deeply discounted prices because stores want to sell products fast so they have room to merchandise for the next season. I have found some great deals on items for use in my school counseling office at end of season sales. The end of the Halloween season is an especially good time to stock up on items!

This week I will be highlighting a few seasonal Halloween items to utilize in your school counseling office!

Seasonal Find: Halloween Play-doh

Play-doh is a great item to get at a discount after Halloween, Christmas, and Easter.  Stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and even grocery stores sell seasonally packaged party packs of Play-doh with an colorful assortment of fun-sized cans.
For the Halloween season, most department stores carry 20 pack "Trick or Treat"Bags and some carry 80 pack "Trick or Treat" Bags. In the past, I have found Play-doh "Trick or Treat" bags anywhere from 30%-90% off the original price.

How to use Play-doh in School Counseling

Play-doh can be used in a variety of ways in a school counseling setting. I have a Play-Doh Duffel Bag with tools and manipulatives for students to use, however I dislike how the big cans of Play-doh dry out so quickly. Instead of using big Play-doh cans in my office, I like to give students their own party-sized Play-doh can to use when they come and see me.  At the end of the year, I allow them to keep their party-sized can.

I also use Play-doh for specific techniques in an individual and group counseling setting. One activity I like to facilitate with groups is what I call "Play-doh Personalities." I have the students think about an animal that has a personality similar to their own.  Once each student has an animal in mind, I instruct the students to mold the animal out of Play-doh. After everyone has created an animal, I have the students share what they created and how that animal's personality is like their own. It is a fun activity and students really enjoy it. I have also use this activity in individual counseling sessions.

In a previous blog post about anger management groups I facilitate, I wrote about an activity from Seeing Red: An Anger Management and Peacemaking Curriculum for Kids that utilizes Play-doh. Students create ways they can cope with their anger using Play-doh.

Visit Hasbro's Play-doh website for additional Play-doh ideas.

How do you use play-doh in your work with students?

What seasonal finds will you use in your school counseling office? Comment below, email me, tweet, or share on the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page!

Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at School Counselor Blog, a place where school counselors share innovative ideas, creative lesson plans, and quality resources.  Contact Danielle via email, follow her on twitter, and become a fan of the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page.

  

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