Making homemade play dough may seem tedious, but it is easy to create and fun to play with. By using a few basic ingredients that are typically found in your kitchen, you can make a brightly coloured dough that will provide hours of entertainment for your kids!
Playing with play dough is a great way for children to explore their creativity while building their fine motor skills. Give it a try!
Stove Top Play Dough
I prefer this recipe for cooked play dough, instead of the no-cook version, but both work very well.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp cream of tartar
food colouring (liquid, powder, or unsweetened drink mix)
scented oils
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Stir over low heat. The dough will begin to thicken. It will resemble mashed potatoes.
3. When the dough pulls away from the sides and clumps in the center, remove the pan from heat and allow the dough to cool enough to handle.
IMPORTANT NOTE: if your playdough seems sticky, you simply need to cook it longer. It will get to the right consistency with the proper cooking.
**It is important to keep drink mixes used for colouring dough out of reach of pets. Pets are attracted to the smell of the mix, but consuming it can harm them due to the high salt content. While children can taste the salt and avoid eating it, pets may not have that same awareness and may eat it anyway. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the play dough is stored in a safe place and not accessible to pets.
No Cook Play Dough
This is an easy no-cook recipe I have used. The kids can make this with you and you can have fun with the colour creations!
Ingredients:
1 cup salt
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. salad oil (veg.oil)
Water
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add water (a little at a time) and mix until it forms a dough-like consistency. If too dry, add more water.
3. Put a few drops of food colouring to get the desired colour.
4. Store in an airtight container.