Of course that is the purpose of play doh!

 James has decided playing with Play Doh is the best of all activities- it trumps watching TV, books, eating, pretty much anything.

 I believe this is because Tim showed James just before Christmas that you didn't have to be confined to using cookies cutters, etc.  But could free-form shapes.

 Tim made James a sting ray.  And that pink sting ray was so well loved it dried up and crumbled apart- James didn't want to squash it up and put it back in the container.

 Since that day all play doh sessions consist of James requesting participating momma, daddy, aunt, babysitter or any willing person to shape a selected color into an aquatic animal.  Above you can see one such assembly: two rays, a oyster with pearl, one octopus, one crab, one lobster, several sea horses and one shark (the last two animals were made by the cutters much to my fingers relief.)

 At first it was a real challenge for James to relinquish these animals to their fate of being put away, but as he became more confident that each could be made again he has gotten better and better about squashing them and putting them in their containers for a 'nap' until the next time to play with the dough.

 This is the only non-aquatic item he asks for- he calls it cheese.  Not sure why.  It is what is left in the press that came with kit- the press makes stings of play dough and this is what doesn't get pushed through.  The first time I opened the squeezer he asked for the cheese and I had to think about it for a few minutes and ask him to point to even figure out what in the world he was referring to.

The only thing I can think of is that is looks sort of like a cheese grater.