DIY Easy Homemade Play Dough

So onward to my DIY Play dough experience! It's something I've wanted to try for a while, it is safe, all natural and I knew my son would love it.

Now that I had my coloring, I asked my friend who had given my son some home made play dough at a party for her recipe. It lasted months and was just perfect. She had a recipe she used from an old kids craft book and passed it on, (I don't know what book it's from) I used organic ingredients, cause that's what we use, but you can use whatever you usually use as well..

The recipe is-

5 cups of water
5 cups of flour
10 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups of salt
3 Tablespoons of cream of tartar 
Coloring- I used natural food derived dye (see previous post)
Large Pot- Preferably stainless or enamel cast iron
Wooden Utensil

Heat water and salt over low, stirring until dissolved. Add 10 Tablespoons of oil. Add Flour. Keep stirring consistently. This took some time to get it all integrated. I had to up my temperature on my stove to get it going faster, it depends on your stove. The dough will start to pull away from the edges when stirred. When it's not sticky between your fingers it's done. I found my dough had to really become almost a big ball until it wasn't sticky. Then let it cool slightly in the pan, scrape it out onto parchment or waxed paper with a little flour on it. Let it cool. 

Once just warm, I divided it into different balls so I could add my coloring. I took about 1/4 teaspoon size coloring gel and put it into the balls middle. I then hand kneaded it to get a consistent color.  And repeated that for all the colors. Then you can take some dough of different colors,  say yellow and blue and mix to make green, red and blue to make purple, etc.

It made alot of play dough! Maybe too much, but can you have too much? You can always put it in recycled jars, add a label or bow and give it away as gifts, party favors or host a play date and use it with other kids!


A "Single" size Version would be-

1 cup of water
1/2 cup salt
2 Tablespoons of Vegatable Oil
2 teaspoons of Cream of tartar
1 cup of flour
coloring
pot
wooden utensil

My son loves it. He points and says play dough play dough! Anything can be used to poke, prod or flatten play dough. Crayons, pencils, wooden blocks, small cars make cool treads, toys, fingers, noses...Or just squish it in your hand, make faces with it, roll it... It's all fun! It's a great home made toy that you know what's in it. 

You can also put food grade essential oils in your play dough for a nice smell. But I don't have any experience with that (I did read lavender oil can have some effect on small boy babies estrogen levels, so I would keep that at a minimum if used)

HAVE FUN!!