Play Dough – No Cooking Required!

This is the recipe I use to make Play Dough. It’s super easy, and takes about 5 minutes to make:

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon food colouring for each colour

INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE:
Mix all dry ingredients, add oil and boiling water (add food colouring if necessary – see NOTE below), mix well.

Tip dough onto breadboard (be careful, it will be hot), and split it into 4 equal parts. Place each piece of dough in a separate plate or bowl and add a teaspoon of food colouring to each bowl. Mix together using your hands.

Would definitely recommend wearing disposable gloves. If you don’t, it’s not a problem, you’ll just have to clean your hands afterwards. Click HERE for tips on how to clean food colouring off of your hands.

NOTE: You can actually add the food colouring to the boiling water before you mix it. This gives a richer colour. However, this means you will be making one HUGE amount of dough in one colour. Which is why I make the dough without colouring, split it up and add it later.

STORAGE:
You can store the play dough in an airtight container. I prefer to wrap each colour in plastic wrap and store in the pantry. Generally this play dough keeps for at least 3 months.

VIDEO:
Here’s a 2 min “How To Make Your Own Play Dough” video – made by me 🙂

ADDITIONAL TID BITS:
To add interest you can add glitter for a textural change, some aromatherapy scented oil for smell.

Hide beads in your play dough, and your kids will have HOURS of fun fishing them out. TRUST ME!

Cream of Tartar is used to make the dough last longer and be stronger and stiffer. So if you don’t have it, don’t worry. It just won’t have the same consistency and texture. Alternatively you can substitute Cream of Tartar for equal parts baking powder and baking soda.

Did you know, Playdoh was originally created to clean wallpaper? Crazy, I KNOW!