Play-Doh is a classic toy for toddlers up to elementary school kids and beyond. There is a literally a Play-Doh set to match every child’s interest. This post will highlight the best Play-Doh sets for boys and girls in 2019.
Play-Doh: An Amazing Toy
It goes without saying that Play-Doh is an amazing toy. It’s the perfect sensory experience for kids of all ages.
The love affair between kids and Play-Doh starts as toddlers, and it continues on through the years as they grow. Elementary school aged kids still adore Play-Doh. Heck, even middle school and high school students love using Play-Doh in school if given the chance. To tell you the truth, my daughter was given Play-Doh during a family gathering and about eight adults sat around the table with her, happily playing alongside her.
Play-Doh is pretty much the perfect sensory toy for kids. It’s mushy but not sticky, reusable for months, if not years, and that smell! It’s enough to transport you right back to childhood.
A batch of Play-Doh is fun, but a Play-Doh activity set really amps up the experience. That’s why I’m hear to help. I’ve rounded up the most amazing Play-Doh sets for boys and girls, to take the guesswork out of Play-Doh shopping this year!
Play-Doh Sets for Boys and Girls
Play-Doh has come up with so many amazing play sets that appeal to just about any interest a kid might have. You’ll certainly be able to find a Play-Doh set that will suit the interest of your little boy or girl.
I kind of hate the title of this post, because, let’s face it, there are no toys that are made exclusively for girls or boys. There are plenty of girls who enjoy stereotypically boy Play-Doh sets, and an equally large number of boys who would enjoy stereotypically girl Play-Doh sets. In fact, I can guarantee that the vast majority of girls and boys would love just about any Play-Doh set put in front of them!
Parents usually have many more presuppositions about gendered toys and what their children will enjoy. As a teacher of over ten years, I can tell you that most kids are happy to play with any toys you give them.
So, although I’m categorizing these Play-Doh sets into boy and girl categories, please take it with a grain of salt. It is just plain awesome if your daughter loves a dump truck Play-Doh set, and equally as great if your son adores a Little Mermaid Play-Doh set!
Personally, the Play-Doh set I’m most excited to give my daughter this year is a typical boy set. And guess what? I could care less. I know she’ll love it and that’s all that matters.
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Pros and Cons of Play-Doh
In researching these products, I poured over countless reviews. I discovered the parets had come to the same conclusions I had; Play-Doh is a great toy, but has the same pros and cons for just about everyone.
First, the pros. It goes without saying, Play-Doh is a great toy. It encourages creative and dramatic play. It encourages children to work on their fine motor skills, and it provides a great sensory experience for children. There’s a reason that Play-Doh has been around forover. It truly is and amazing, multi-faceted toy.
I also read that children as young as two and as old as nine absolutely loved their Play-Doh sets. More than one review mentioned adults enjoying the sets alongside their children, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins. Play-Doh is a great way to bring the family together!
The cons of Play-Doh were also remarkably similar in so many of the reviews I read. Here were the top concerns.
First, parents are concerned about the mess of Play-Doh. While you definitely don’t want Play-Doh in between your couch cushions or smushed into your carpet, I actually don’t think Play-Doh is that bad. Compared to other sensory toys/bins, Play-Doh is pretty darn neat! It doesn’t stain like Silly Putty or slime, the small pieces are easily picked i[, and it dries hard so it can be swept up easily. A little mess is an easy trade off for hours of screen-free entertainment.
Second, parents seem annoyed that it’s difficult to get Play-Doh out of molds or presses. It’s realy no big deal if your Play-Doh dries in a tool. Just toss it in some soapy water for a few minutes and it loosens right up!
Third, some parents did not like that they had to help their child while playing with the Play-Doh. This usually invovled using the presses.
I think it’s actually a good thing that these toys are a little tricky for small fingers. It gives children the chance to build hand strength and fine motor skills, which are essential for academic tasks like writing! Children’s fine motor skills are rapidly declined with the advent of screen-time babysitting. Play-Doh is the perfect, engaging way to encourage your child to develop hand strength and improve fine motor skills.
Play-Doh Sets for Boys
Without further ado, here are the top Play-Doh sets for boys, or children with traditional ‘boy’ interests.
Kitchen Creations Burger Barbeque Set
Product Features:
This Play-Doh Kitchen Barbeque set is lots of fun for kids of all ages. Your little chefs can create hamburgers and hot dogs out from the grill mold, along with side orders like onion rings. It comes with This is a great way to incorporate pretend play and Play-Doh!
What Parents Say:
Parents give this Play-Doh Kitchen Barbeque set very high marks! Review upon review reports that kids absolutely love this set, which is perfect for playing restaurant. Some parents note that the grill is smaller than expected, but others appreciated it’s compact size for storage reasons.
Video Review:
Play-Doh Poop Troop Set
Product Review:
Who wouldn’t like this Poop Play-Doh set? Your little jokesters can make poop emojis with different coloured and plastic plug-in parts. This Play-Doh set comes with 12 cans of Play-Doh and lots of facial features to mix and match on your very own poop creation!
What Parents Say:
Parents say their kids are crazy about this wacky Play-Doh set! Many note their elementary aged kids really enjoyed this set, because of the popularity of the poop emoji. It’s a known fact that kids think anything poop related is hilarious! One reviewer even said her teenagers thought this was a hilarious gift!
Video Review
Play-Doh Wheels Sets
Features:
Play-Doh has come out with a new line of constructioned-themed sets called Wheels. Each of the Play-Doh Wheels sets comes with one or more vehicles (cement mixer, gravel grinder, dump truck and steam roller, and crane and forklift) and super cool building compounds (cememt, concrete, brick or stone) with speckels to make it look like real construction materials.
Sets include:
You can also buy a refill of extra large containers of Play Doh cement and pavement compound or brick and stone compound for all the more building fun!
What Parents Say:
Parents say that their children love the combination of construction vehicles and Play-Doh! They do note that the compounds contain glitter and can get a bit messy on their children’s hands. They love the vehicles, but note that the grinder tool in the Gravel Contstuction Toy is tricky for children to operate.
Video Review:
Buzz ‘n Cut Barbershop Set
Features:
This Barbershop Play-Doh Set is perfect for boys and girls who enjoy cutting hair (and at the preschool age, who doesn’t like to cut hair?). There are two figures you can place in the barber chair. Just crank and their hair will grow (one even grows a beard!). This set comes with several har cutting accessories. In addition to scissors, it also comes with an electric razor that really buzzes when touching the Play-Doh! How cool is that?
What Parents Say:
Many parents rave about how unique and fun this set is! Parents and kids alike are very impressed with the electric razor. Some parents note that this set requires extra clean up, and Play-Doh colours can get mixed up easily. Overall, parents gave this toy great ratings!
Product Review:
Drill ‘n Fill Play-Doh Set
Features:
The Drill ‘n Fill set is a super fun and unique set, perfect for aspiring dentists! This set comes with a mouth, tooth mold, toothbrush and paste, as well as an electric drill that buzzes and a braces stamping roller. This set is so unique and really captures kids’ imaginations. Plus, the learn about dental health at the same time!
What Parents Think:
Parents give the Fill ‘n Drill set rave reviews! They note that their children (a wide range of ages) are especially entertained by this set, and some have said the adults in their house get in on the enjoyment too. A few pointed out that this set has been a good way to introduce their child to the dentist’s office, or improve their comfort level at the dentist. Do be warned that it can be a challenge to keep the white Play-Doh for the teeth separate from the other colours. It’s not easy to find multiple white cans to replace it!
Product Review:
Disney Pixar Cars Set
Features:
What a great gift for the Lightning McQueen fan in your life! This Cars-themed Play-Doh set comes with a Lightning McQueen figure (you can squeeze Play-Doh to make him stick out his tongue!), a gas hose, and several Cars-themed molds, along with three cans of Play-Doh.
What Parents Say:
Parents report that this set is a hit with their Cars-loving children. Most really enjoyed using Play-Doh to make Lightning’s tongue stick out, although parents don’t like that Play-Doh gets stuck sometimes. Some parents have noted that their children played with the Lightning McQueen figure even after the Play-Doh was put away and it became a favorite toy!
Play-Doh Toolin’ Around Set
Features:
This tool set comes with five different tools, including a saw, wrench, screwdriver, measuring tape and hammer. There’s also a rolling tool that creates a wood grain in the Play-Doh. Three cans of Play-Doh are included.
What Parents Say:
Most parents say their children enjoy this set and that the tools are durable and fun to play with!
Play-Doh Sets for Girls
Here are the top Play-Doh sets for girls, or children with traditional ‘girl’ interests.
Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Sprinkle Cookie Surprise Set
Product Features:
This Kitchen Creations Spinkle Cookie Surprise stands at 12 inches tall, comes with a number of different shaped cookie cutters, stampers, rolling pin and icing tool, not to mention a tower which spreads sprinkles! It even comes with Emoji cookies! Five colours of Play-Doh are also included with this set.
What Parents Say:
Parents rave that the Kitchen Creations Spinkle Cookie Surprise keeps kids entertained and using their creativity! It has great reviews on Amazon. A few parents did note that the sprinkles were messy to clean up, so be sure to use this on a hard, flat surface.
Video Review:
Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Delightful Donuts Set
Product Features:
Donuts are all the rage right now, and Play-Doh is catching on to this popular trend! With the Delightful Donuts set, your little chef can create and decorate their own donuts! This set comes with a donut press, four molds, icing and sprinkle tools and more! Four cans of Play-Doh are included with this set.
What Parents Say:
Parents say that their children absolutely love creating donuts! This set allows their children’s creativity to shine through! One mom noted that it made the perfect gift for a donut-themed birthday party. A few parents did felt that it was difficult to get the molds clean. Overall, this set recieved very high marks on Amazon!
Video Review:
Rapunzel’s Royal Salon
Product Features:
Your little princess can do Rapunzel’s hair to her heart’s content. This Play-Doh set allows your child to create Rapunzel’s hairstyle. Simply turn the crank to make Rapunzel’s hair grow, then curl it or add braids. There are two braiding molds so your child does not have to know how to braid hair to enjoy this toy. You can also add lots of accessories to your hairdo! This set comes with four cans of dough, along with scissors, a brush, and Play-Doh molds.
What Parents Say:
Most parents reported that their children enthusiastically played with this set happily for a long time. Many noted the braiding molds make it easy for their young children to create braids without having to learn to braid. Some noted that Rapunzel’s head is smaller than they expected and that the Play-Doh included doesn’t make Rapunzel’s hair very long, but you could easily fix this by buying an extra full-sized can of yellow Play-Doh.
Video Review:
Play-Doh Kitchen Creation Magical Oven
Product Features:
Your little one can create fantastic desserts, then watch them bake in the Kitchen Creations Magical Oven. The oven has a realistic white light that changes to red when it’s ‘heating up’ and the oven dings when done baking. You can create yummy snacks like cake, muffins and pizzas. This set comes with six cans of Play-Doh.
What Parents Say:
Parents raved over the electric oven and most reported that their kids loves this set and played with it for a long time. One parent even said this was the most popular of all their many Play-Doh sets. Some parents had trouble operating the over and wished for more detailed instructions. Others were surprised this toy did not come with batteries. Overall, a solid choice for a gift!
Video Review:
Kitchen Creations Super Chef Suite
Product Features:
The Kitchen Creations Super Chef Suite is the ultimate chef playset for any little girl or boy. The centerpiece of this playset is the electric grill that makes real sizzling sounds. The set also comes with a huge number of accessories, including food stamps, a deluxe noodle press, utensils, bowls, plates, plastic chopping knives, the list just goes on and on! It even has a plastic chef’s apron for your little gourmet! 10 cans of Play-Doh are included with this set.
What Parents Say:
Parents are super impressed with this toy, which has one of the highest rankings on Amazon. One mom did note that the plastic apron attracted a lot of pet fur. Another complained that it was hard to clean, as most Play-Doh sets are, but hey, that’s Play-Doh! Other than that, report after report stated that this set provided great entertainment for their children and whole families! Parents also noted that this set goes on sale frequently, so keep a lookout and you’ll get it for a great price!
Dreamworks Trolls Press ‘n Style Salon
Product Features:
The Play-Doh Hair Do series is a classic, but The Trolls add a fun twist to hairstyling! This kit comes with two trolls (Poppy and Branch from the Trolls movie), a hairstlying chair, scissors, and molds for hair and accessories. Seven cans of Play Doh are included with this kit.
What Parents Say:
Many parents raved about this playset. The Trolls twist on a classic Play-Doh set is a hit and kids of all ages have fun creating funky hairstyles for the trolls. The downside is that it can be difficult for kids to push the hair out by themselves once the playdough gets a bit older and begins to harden. Several parents noted that they needed to help their little ones play with this set, so that is something to be aware of.
Video Review:
Ultimate Swirl Ice Cream Maker
Product Features:
This large playdough set has an ice cream maker, a whipped cream maker and a sprinkle maker all in one kit, along with dishes, cones and spoons, perfect for an ice cream party. It comes with 6 cans of normal Play-Doh compound and two cans of Play-Doh Plus, which is a special texture, perfect for whipped cream!
What Parents Say:
This is my daughter’s favorite Play-Doh kit BY FAR! Anytime I bring this kit out for her, it’s non-stop fun and a great way to meld creativity and dramatic play. She loves to make special ice cream cones for each member of her family. The downside to this kit is that I do have to make sure she has cleaned it out properly.
Sometimes I need to press down the ice cream lever for her, but it’s not a big deal to do that, because she spends so much time decorating each ice cream after I’ve pressed it. If I’m not right bedside her she’s usually happy to shape her own ice cream instead of using the press. The PlayDoh Plus makes a very cool whipped cream texture that she loves to use as well.
Video Review:
Conclusion
Well, those are my top picks for the best Play-Doh sets for boys and girls. I hope this helped you find the best gift for your child! Happy shopping, mamas!
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