I have so many great memories of playing with dough with my children and even playing with it myself as a child. But not only is it fun, but it encourages creativity and enhances fine motor skills, too.
Here are 4 recipes for making play dough at home:
1. Crayon Play Dough
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 tbsp cream of tartar
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Crayons... the more you have the more vibrant your colors will be
- 2-3 drops of baby oil (or glycerin)
Directions:
- First, prepare the crayons. This is the most tedious part. Peel the paper off the crayons, then break them into chunks. No need to chop them up as they melt easily.
- In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Put the crayons in and stir until melted.
- While the crayons are melting, add the salt to the water and give it a nice stir. Once the crayons are melted, remove from the heat and SLOWLY pour the salt mixture into the crayon mixture. Be careful! It will bubble and splatter if you pour too quickly! Return to the stove and stir until salt is dissolved.
- In a small bowl, mix flour and cream of tartar together. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the crayon mixture. Stir until it all clumps into a messy ball.
- Remove from heat and place on a heat resistant mat. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes until it is cool enough to knead. Now, the workout! Add just a few drops of glycerin or baby oil to make it nice and soft. Knead until the consistency is just right.
- Store in an air-tight container when not in use. Hours of fun ahead!
TIP: So...what do you do if your kiddo doesn't want to give up his precious crayons? Ask his teacher to save her leftovers and broken bits. Bring her a fresh box. I’m sure she will be thrilled with the exchange!
2. Kool-Aid® Play Dough
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cups flour
- 1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid®
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup of boiling water
Directions:
- Mix flour, unsweetened Kool-Aid® and salt in a large mixing bowl (this is a great step for your mini-macaroni.
- Mix in the vegetable oil and then have the adult add in the boiling water.
- Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Don't worry, the Kool-Aid® won't come off on your hands when you play with it.
- Keep the flour out and add a little bit at a time if it seems too sticky.
TIP: If you want to make blue play dough, don't buy the blue raspberry flavor. Although the package is blue, it makes a raspberry pink color. Now we just need to go out and buy some more flavors for next time.
3. Pumpkin Scented Play Dough
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- Pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger)
- Up to 2 cups boiling water
- Food coloring - yellow and red to make orange
Directions:
- Mix the flour, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.
- Add the boiling water a little at a time to reach the right consistency (add more flour if it's too sticky).
- Add food coloring to get the "pumpkin orange" color you desire.
4. Gingerbread Play Dough
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons ginger
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 cup of water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat.
- Keep stirring until the dough changes to a thick lump.
- Remove from heat and let cool to the touch.
- Knead until smooth.
- Store in an airtight container.
TIP: This recipe is also easily adaptable by swapping out the spices for another smell you love, like vanilla or peppermint, and adding a little food coloring!
