Play dough is a time tested, kid pleasing activity. While play dough is relatively inexpensive, it is not a product that is involved. As care givers, we want to immerse the children in our care completely in the learning process and by involving them in the creation process; we have several opportunities to do just that. Making the play dough before you use it allows a sense of pride and accomplishment to develop in your child. These are simple to make recipes that you can make almost directly out of your kitchen cabinet. Enjoy the bonding time that you will have with the children. Also, please do not allow them to eat the play dough. Although the play dough is made mostly of edible items, it’s not all safe to eat. Also, adult supervision is needed on a few recipes due to the dough needing to be cooked.
Recipe Number One: Rose Scented Red Play Dough
Ingredients:
3 cups of flour
¾ cup of salt
3 tablespoons of cream of tartar
1/8 of a cup of powdered red tempera paint
1/8 of a cup of red glitter
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
10 drops of rose scented potpourri oil
Mixing Instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large, heavy pot. Add the water, oil and scent together and mix until the dough is smooth. Continue stirring over medium heat until the dough becomes a ball shape. Dump the dough out onto a well floured board or table and knead it until the dough is cool. The dough can now be played with. When done playing with the dough, store it in an air tight container.
Recipe Number Two: Chocolate Scented Play Dough
Ingredients:
1 and ¼ cups of flour
½ of a cup of cocoa powder
½ of a cup of salt
½ of a tablespoon of cream of tartar
1 and ½ tablespoons of cooking oil
1 cup of boiling water
Mixing Instructions:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large, heavy bowl. Add the oil and boiling water to the mixture. Stir very quickly, mixing thoroughly. Once the mixture has cooled, mix it together using your hands. The dough can now be played with. When done playing with the dough, store it in an air tight container.
Recipe Number Three: Grape Jelly Scented Play Dough
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons of cream of tartar
¾ of a cup of salt
3 cups of flour
3 cups of water
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Blue and red food coloring
14 ounce package of unsweetened Kool-Aid
Mixing Instructions:
Stir all of the dry ingredients together in a large, heavy pot. Add the water and oil, taking your time. Use a large wire whisk to blend the mixture until there are no remaining lumps. Add to the mixture drops of blue and red food coloring until the mixture is a bright, medium purple color. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture forms a ball. While the mixture is still warm, knead it on a lightly floured board until the dough reaches a soft, satiny texture. The dough may now be played with. The dough should be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to one month.
Recipe Number Four: Pumpkin Pie Scented Play Dough
Ingredients:
5 and ½ cups of flour
2 cups of salt
8 teaspoons of cream of tartar
¾ of a cup of oil
1 ounce (1 normal sized container) of pumpkin pie spice
Orange food coloring (1 part red to 2 parts yellow)
4 cups of water
Mixing Instructions:
In a large, heavy pan, mix all of the ingredients together. Cooking over medium heat, stir until the mixture no longer has any lumps. Knead the dough out onto a well floured surface until it is smooth. The dough can now be played with. When done playing with the dough, store it in an air tight container.
Recipe Number Five: Peanut Butter Play Dough
NOTE: This play dough is edible.
Ingredients:
2 cups of creamy peanut butter
2 cups of honey
4 and ½ cups of powdered milk
Mixing Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix together the honey and peanut butter. Slowly add in the powdered milk and knead the mixture until the dough reaches a thick consistency. The dough can now be played with. When not using the dough, it must be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The dough will keep for 1 week.
Recipe Number Six: Sparkling Peppermint Scented Play Dough
Ingredients:
2 cups of water
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
4 tablespoons of oil
4 tablespoons of peppermint extract
Glitter
Mixing Instructions:
In a large, heavy pan, combine all of the ingredients except for the glitter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Sprinkle in glitter until it reaches a sparkling that you prefer. Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough on waxed paper and allow it to cool. The dough can now be played with. When done playing with the dough, store it in an air tight container.
I hope that you enjoy making these play dough recipes with your children. They are a lot of fun, and as you can see by my recipes, they are easily adapted for all seasons. Have fun, and be creative!
