Making your own play dough is fun and easy, and the final product is so much better than the finished product you get at the store. This is a great activity for a nanny to do with a child, and when the play dough is done, use it to play, or to form letters for a learning activity!
Follow this recipe for the softest, smoothest play dough, which will last for months.
All the ingredients are available on Instashop in UAE (so easy!)
Play dough ingredients:
- 2 cups (4.7 dl) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup salt (1.8 dl) (take note of the quantity, it’s a lot of salt!)
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 cups (4.7 dl) lukewarm water
- 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
- Food coloruing (for example this, you will need half the tube)
- Plastic bags (not the tiny one, use one that can fit a small bread)
Using a medium sized casserole, stir together flour, salt and cream of tartar. Then add the water, oil and food colour.
Cook over medium heat, use a big wooden spoon or similar. It seems easy in the beginning, but as the dough starts to thicken, you need to work that spoon.
Try to stir it into a ball as you go. When it looks like this, it’s finished (this one is without colour):
Remove and place in a plastic bag or onto wax paper (or on a cutting board). Let it cool down slightly, then knead until the dough is smooth.
That’s is, your play dough is done! Store in a plastic bag so it doesn’t dry out.
PS: Want to make multiple colours? Just make the dough without any food colour. When the dough is done, divide it in batches (one for each colour). Put the dough in a plastic bag, add food colour, and knead the dough to blend in the colour (use the bag, or you will get food colour all over your hands, not ideal!).
Here’s a batch we made for goodie bags for a birthday, in noodle soup bowls (the take away kind):
