Dough Circuits – Get Started

Learn how to use play dough to make simple electrical circuits

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things you will need

  • 1 pot of play dough
  • 1 x 4 AA battery pack
  • 2 x LEDs (light emitting diodes)
  • 1 x buzzer

Top tip

The salt in play dough is not a friend of metal. 

Wipe the ends of wires and the legs of LEDs with a damp cloth after use to make them last longer.

1

Prepare the dough

Separate the dough into three equal sections and roll each section into a ball.

2

Connect to the battery pack

  • Take two of the dough balls.
  • Place the red wire from the battery pack into one dough ball.
  • Place the black wire into the remaining dough ball.

Things to know

The red wire connects to the positive end of the battery. The black wire connects to the negative end of the battery. 

3

Light-up an LED

  • Take one LED and separate the legs.
  • Place the longer leg of the LED into the dough ball connected to red wire. 
  • Place the shorter leg of the LED into the dough ball connected to the black wire.
  • Turn ON the battery pack and watch your LED light up.

Things to know

LEDs must always be placed in a circuit with the long leg connected to the positive end of the battery.

4

Short the circuit

  • In the circuit that you made in step 3, push the two dough balls together.
  • The LED will dim or go out completely.
  • This is called a short circuit.

Things to know

Electricity will always take the shortest path of least resistance. In this case, the dough is an easier route back to the battery than making the LED light up. 

5

Prevent a short circuit

  • To prevent short circuits use an insulator to keep the conductive dough balls from touching.
  • You could make some insulating dough (recipe here) or recycle some cardboard.
  • Alternatively, always make sure you leave a gap.

Things to know

An insulator is a material that does not allow electricity to pass through it easily - like plastic, rubber, and wood.

6

Make a switch

  • It’s time to put that third dough ball to work.
  • Turn OFF the battery box switch.
  • Disconnect the red battery wire and place it into the third dough ball.
  • Make sure the remaining dough balls are no longer touching.
  • Switch ON the battery box switch.
  • Touch the third dough ball to the ball with no wire connected, disconnect and repeat.
  • The LED should go on and off. You have made a dough ball switch.
  • Turn OFF the battery box switch.

Things to know

A switch works by breaking a circuit (making a gap), which stops the electric current from flowing. Switches are used to control electricity.

7

Add an LED

  • Grab another LED and place the long leg into the switch dough ball.
  • Place the shorter leg into the middle dough ball.
  • Turn ON the battery box switch.
  • The LEDs will be dimmer and if you remove one LED, all LEDs will go out.
  • This is called a series circuit.
8

Keep things bright

  • Turn OFF the battery box switch.
  • Remove the switch dough ball and disconnect the battery wires and LEDs.
  • Roll two of the dough balls out into dough rolls and place them parallel to each other.
  • Connect the red battery wire to the end of one dough roll and the black battery wire to the end of the other rough roll.
  • Connect the long legs of three LEDs to the dough roll connected to the red battery wire and the short legs to the dough roll connected to the black battery wire.
  • Turn the battery box ON.
  • This is called a parallel circuit.

Things to know

In a parallel circuit electric current flows through each LED independently. So if you remove one LED the others will remain lit.

9

Make it buzz

  • Turn the battery box OFF.
  • Connect the red wire of the buzzer to the dough ball connected to the red battery wire.
  • Connect the black battery wire of the buzzer to the dough ball connected to the black battery wire.
  • Turn the battery box ON.
  • Buzzzzzzzzzz.
1 0

Get creative

Now that you know the basics what else can you create?

Can you now make Snails light up?

We can’t wait to see what you come up with. Share your creations #sniffandsnails

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