When J.R. was staying here recently, this Grammy was out of ideas for fun things to do. He wanted to play with Play Doh, but we didn’t have any. However, I remembered that I used to make easy homemade play dough for my own children when they were young. And, even though I was out of practice (after all, it had been at least fifteen years since I’d made play dough), I decided that making play dough would be a fun and memorable activity for a four-year-old to try.
How to Make Easy Homemade Play Dough
Believe it or not, play dough is actually simple to make. Best of all, you can use ingredients that you probably already have at home: flour, salt, water, cream of tartar, oil, and food coloring (optional). J.R. wanted green play dough, so that’s what we made.
First, combine all of the ingredients in saucepan. We add the food coloring to the water before mixing in the oil and dry ingredients. Then, cook the mixture on medium-low until it begins to ball up and is rubbery. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. After it cools, you can knead it until it has the proper consistency before playing with it.
This easy homemade play dough does not need to be refrigerated. While it is non-toxic, children should not eat it because of the high sodium content. Believe me, if they try it, they will spit it out right away. It doesn’t taste good at all.
Easy Play Dough
Ingredients
- 1 C water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 drops food coloring or more, depending on the shade
- 1 C flour
- 1/2 C salt
- 1 tbsp cream of tartar
Instructions
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Mix liquid ingredients.
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Stir in dry ingredients
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Cook over medium-low heat until rubbery.
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Let cool, then knead.
Recipe Notes
This is non-toxic, but it should not be eaten.
Final Thoughts
Homemade play dough can be a lifesaver when kids want to play with Play Doh, and you don’t want to run to the store. Plus, it uses ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. It’s an inexpensive way to entertain little ones. Just give them a few cookie cutters and plastic utensils, and let them play to their heart’s content.
For more ideas on entertaining children, check out these classic board games that are perfect for preschoolers.
I have a friend with two little ones at home, and I’m sure they are getting bored by now too. This is the coolest thing that I’m sending them to try! I love that this is so simple to make with pantry staples.
This looks like so much fun! My mother used to make something similar for me and I absolutely loved it. There are many great and simple ideas like this and this quarantine could be a time to re-discover them.
This is the perfect thing to do during this time at home. I love that it’s so simple to make and will keep the kids entertained. Best part, being made from 100% safe, edible ingredients means that you don’t have to stress if they decide to give it a taste lol!
This is such a fab idea. A very cool way to keep kids and also the adults entertained during the lockdown xx
Homemade play dough… who would have thought as I just spent money of some for my kids! When this get old I will use this recipt to make some.
This is so great! I would have hesitated to try this earlier this week since I was running low on supplies, but I was able to stock up on flour today. Finally! I’ll be making this with my grandchildren, for sure. Thanks!
I had never heard of, or thought about, making your own play dough before, but I think the idea is brilliant. It results in an additional fun activity that they can be involved in. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe here, this is a great idea that I would, in turn, like to share with a friend of mine who is a new mom.
Making homemade play dough was something I LOVED to do when I was a child. It kept my brother & I busy for hours!
-Madi xo | http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
this is so cool!! I wish we had this when I was a kid – my brother always muddled my playdough and made it ugly, hah! New recipes would’ve saved a lot of money!
This is cool. I have been looking for a simple recipe. Thanks for sharing
We love making our own playdoh! We mix in herbs and citrus fruit peels to make them smell nice too.
I would love to see some of the things he made with it. I’m going to share this with Sarah. Theo loves play dough.
Looks like fun! Can’t wait until my daughters old enough to play!
Ooh, how awesome! I grew up in the time before Play-Doh and never really had an opportunity to play with it, but it always looked like a lot of fun. Maybe I’ll make this for myself… 🙂
Wonderful idea. A great way to keep the kids involved and engaged. And when they are busy the mother can take a little break and relax.
This is a pretty cool advice. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Looks very much fun and actually super simple to make. I think it’s also budget friendly as it’s cheaper than play dough from the shop.
P.S. your ‘model’ is the cutest!