After our first attempt with play dough kits, it is safe to say we are hooked on them!
These play dough kits keep my kiddos entertained for hours, but they spark so much creativity! Not to mention, when it comes to sensory activities, this one is pretty low in terms of messiness. Apart from a few items hitting the floor, it was easy to clean up, store, and use again.
The recipe we use is from IHeartNapTime.com. Not only does this recipe make a ton of dough, but it keeps well if store in plastic baggies.
- Home Made Play Dough Recipe
- Here’s what you will need to make your own play dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup salt
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
Add the flour, salt, and cream of tarter into a pan on the stove (no heat just yet) and mix well. Next, stir in the warm water and vegetable oil. Turn stove to medium heat and start stirring! I found that using a sturdy wooden spoon was best as it was able to scrape the bottom of the pan as the mixture began to thicken. Continue stirring until you have a solid mass of play dough. Trust me, it can be a bit of an arm work out as the liquid starts to turn to dough, but keep on stirring! Once it was thick and dough-ey, I removed it from the pot and placed it on a sheet of parchment paper to cool.
For coloring, I use gel food coloring from the baking section of Hobby Lobby. Their color selection is HUGE and the coloring is almost always on sale (reg. $1.99 per bottle). A few drops goes a long way!
Start by adding a few drops into a zip lock baggie with the amount of dough you want to color. Begin kneading in the color. Once it is partially absorbed and there are no “wet spots” of coloring, you can remove and finish mixing in the color with your hands.
All of the little knick knacks are also from Hobby Lobby. I try to shop early for seasonal items as they are usually 40-60% off. Considering each bag filled with the items is usually $1.99- $3.99, you can see how this is a very low cost activity. Plus, the items can easily be saved and stored for next Fall’s activities!
If you are looking for a taste-safe play dough recipe, we’ve got you covered! This post has a recipe that uses koolaid to color the dough (and it smells amazing too!).
Be sure to also check out our Halloween Play Dough Kit below:
