homemade play dough

Whilst I realise there is pre-made Play Dough on the market, I really enjoy making the homemade kind! It is so simple to do, ad you can involve your children in the task of making the dough as part of playtime.

I use the following recipe which was provided by my lovely Playgroup leader, Di. It's a no-cook method, and only takes about 5-10 minutes to make!

No-cook Homemade Play Dough

(makes about 2 cups)

2 cups of plain flour

1 cup of salt

1 tablespoon of Cream of Tartar

splash of oil

boiling water

food colouring - I use the liquid kind

Mix all of the dry ingredients together, making sure that the salt is mixed in well.

Add oil and hot water.

Add food colouring - let your children's imagination roam free here. This is a great way to explore the mixing and creating of new colours.

When adding liquid ingredients, be guided by consistency. The Play Dough should not stick to your hands. If it does, add more flour until you achieve the correct consistency.

Store in air-tight containers when not in use (otherwise the Play Dough will dry out). Plastic containers or zip-lock bags work well.

There are lots of other homemade Play Dough recipes out there to try, including cooked methods (see Cream of Tartar packet for one cooked version), but I prefer the no muss, no fuss, no cook one, as I can involve my young son without worrying, and don't feel like I'm slaving over a hot stove more than I already do!

You needn't buy the commercial brand Play Dough accessories either - you can find plenty of tools around the house to make shapes from and decorate your home made Play Dough eg, egg cups and tea cups (for cutting out small and large circles), cookie cutters, toothpicks for making arms for your Play Dough people (perhaps not for the littlies with oral fixations!), rolling pins, etc etc, you get the picture!

I've just made a fresh batch today while my son sleeps, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with this afternoon.

I hope you and your children enjoy home made Play Dough as much as we do in our house!

 

Image from Art Nest