Beeswax vs Playdough

We love beeswax.

Once or twice a week, after story time (a story without illustrations) we get out the beeswax and start creating elements of the story that the have been stirred up in our imaginations. It could be the animals, flowers, the basket of berries carried by the little girl in the story, eggs, anything!

Beeswax smells wonderful, like honey, it isn't messy, doesn't crumble, can be used over and over again, and unlike playdough, if you mix the colours together, it doesn't turn into a brown lump of ... something that the dog did! It's also non-toxic, and when you finish molding it, it hardens and your creation becomes rigid and you can display it or play with it.

The wax is rigid and it must be warmed up before use. I normally just put the wax in a pot of very warm water and it becomes soft in seconds. 

Beeswax is also a lifesaver during long car journeys or long waits in queues. The children can warm up the wax in their hands to make it pliable.

Top Left: After a homeschool lesson on The Very Hungry Caterpillar, we used beeswax to create models of the lifecycle of the butterfly - little eggs on a leaf, the colourful caterpillar munching the leaf and some fruits, the chrysalis, and finally, the butterfly. 

Bottom Left: Last week, we read about edible fern shoots in the forest, and we made beeswax models of the curly fiddlehead ferns growing by the water's edge, and some other creatures in the pond. Sometimes, we create the characters from the story and reenact the scenes on a mini stage!

I bought the beeswax from Amazon. The Stockmar modeling wax is non-toxic and uses mineral pigments. It may seem pricey but when you consider the fact that it can be re-used over and over again for many years, and doesn't crumble or make a huge mess, it's actually more cost effective than play dough. And did I mention it smells heavenly too... It doesn't leave your hands icky or sticky!



Here are some useful links.





Stockmar Modeling Beeswax - 12 Assorted Sheets
Stockmar Modelling Beeswax - 6 Colors - 100x40 mm
The Amazon link is provided for your convenience and if you click it and make a purchase, I get a small commission at no cost to you.

The Epic Guide to Beeswax Modeling in Kindergarten


How to Use Waldorf Modeling Beeswax - Tutorial