Homemade Play Dough

Looking for a fun and inexpensive activity?  Try making your own play dough!

It is really easy, most every ingredient is already in your pantry, and the kids will play for hours and hours! 

I have children with symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and they are serious sensory seekers.  So this activity feeds a healthy sensory diet as well, keeping them engaged and out of trouble.  We use vibrant cake icing colors and food grade flavorings for safe and yummy smelling dough!

  

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Flour

1 cup Salt

4 tsp. Cream of Tarter

4 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

2 cups Water

gel food coloring

fun flavor/scents (click here to find apple, cotton candy,

watermelon, cherry, strawberry or

blueberry cheesecake :)

Directions:  In a large pot stir flour, salt, cream of tarter, water, and oil.  Continue to mix on very low heat until the dough starts to pull away from the sides and forms a ball.* 

*it may look like this is never going to happen, but trust me it does!

Remove from heat and let dough cool.  (At this point I dump it out on a plastic board and start the next kid's batch.)  When dough is cool split into balls to color/scent.  Add a few drops at a time until you get the colors and smell you are looking for.*  If you use liquid colors it may get slightly sticky, just add a bit of flour while you are kneading it. 

*you can use extracts like vanilla, peppermint or almond, but do NOT use cinnamon because it can burn the skin!!!

When done cover your table with plastic, give them cookie cutters, rolling pins, plastic spoons, pizza cutters, etc. and go relax for a while!  The first time they play with it some you may notice the dye staining hands or the tablecloth, but it does wash out and is harmless.  It stops happening after a couple of times.

At the end of playtime we store the dough in ziplock bags and in the back of our refrigerator!  Costs pennies lasts for months!