[Activity] Make Ma’amool (with playdough)

Ma’amool is a date cookie that practically everyone in the Arab world enjoys! They are used to celebrate both Eid and Easter!

It’s a fun cultural experience for children to make the dough and to shape the date cookies.  And is perfect for a classroom or at a festival table!

See the video below for details!

You will need:

• yellow play dough which you will tell the children is the butter (zib-deh) in the actual recipe it would likely be ghee
• white play dough which you will tell the children is the flour (taw-Heen) in the actual recipe it would likely be semolina

and in the real recipe you would likely add yeast, salt and water too.

The kids mix those two colors together to make a light yellow dough (‘aa-jeen).  Once mix have them roll it into a ball and then flatten it into a circle.

Then you will need:

• black and or green play dough which you will tell the children is dates or pistachio

The kids will roll this into a ball.  And then wrap the light yellow around the black or green ball so that it is hidden/not showing.

Then have the kids press this ball into a maamool mold and smack it out.

I had a baking tray complete with parchment paper to make it look legitimate.

Hope you try this!  Kids love it! And will want to keep coming back to try it again!

(Beware, the play dough can look good enough to eat! )

• Arabic
• Cultural
• Fine Motor
• Preschool
• School Age