The Best Playdough Recipe

WHY MAKE HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH

Playdough is a great activity for rainy days. We love making it in the kitchen. You get a lot more dough when you make your playdough using the best recipe.

This homemade playdough is also much easier to mold and softer than store-bought!

HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH

We love making playdough at Kids Activities Blog and have many different recipes to share with you. This DIY playdough recipe is a classic and a beloved one.

It was a trade secret that another kindergarten teacher gave me when I was teaching kindergarten. But I couldn’t resist sharing it with you guys.

It is a simple recipe, too! Here it is!

DIY PLAYDOUGH SUPPLIES AND INGREDIENTS

2 cups of Flour

2 Tbsp Oil (any oil will work, coconut oil or vegetable oil even olive oil).

1/2 Cup Salt

2 Tbsp Cream Of Tartar

1 1/2 Cup Boiling Water

Gel Food Coloring (Optional).

Gel food coloring is the key to vibrant colors in playdough. You can find it in craft/hobby stores in the cake decorating section, or in the baking aisle at the grocery store. Gel food coloring is the best for making homemade playdough.

PLAYDOUGH – HOW TO MAKE IT

Let’s begin with the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour.

Add 1/2 cup salt.

Add 2 tablespoons Cream of Tartar to the mixture. This can be found in any grocery store’s spice section.

2 tablespoons of oil is needed. This recipe used vegetable oil. However, any oil can be used. As long as it is a kitchen oil your playdough won’t be toxic and safe for little ones who only have a small amount. We don’t recommend that you make this playdough twice as a snack.

Add the boiling hot water. This will make the dough hot!

Combine all ingredients until you have a dough. You can now add food dye to the playdough if you do not want.

Once the dough has cooled, you can make different colors by separating it into equal portions and rolling it into balls.

You can now punch the ball in the middle to create a small bowl that you can pour your gel food dye.

Dip the gel dye in the bowls. If you wish to create another color, this is the time to mix dye colors.

Knead the dough till the dye is fully mixed. This can be messy! Use gloves if you don’t want your hands to be stained by the sticky mess. Also, make sure you put something down to prevent staining your counters (like I did).

You can add your favorite playdough scents – essential oils and extracts that match the colors you choose.

How can you keep food coloring from staining your skin?

You can make homemade playdough by adding food coloring to it. This will cause some color to transfer onto the hands of children. Staining is less likely for lighter colors. The first time you mix in the gel food dye, there is the greatest chance of staining the counter or hands.

The staining of pastel colors on children’s hands is not uncommon. However, if they play with the item for a while and keep it in an airtight container, we find that it will be less noticeable.

Intense, bright colors have a greater chance of staining after multiple uses.

Is it possible to make this PLAYDOUGH RECIPE WITHOUT CREAM OF TARTAR?

Cream of tartar, also known as potassium bitartrate, is a common ingredient in the kitchen. It is used to stabilize other ingredients during cooking because of its acidic properties. Cream of tartar is used to create the fun, springy texture in this homemade playdough recipe.

There are many good substitutes for cream of tartar if you don’t own it.

To offset the rise in liquid, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to a little flour

3 tablespoons baking powder

You can substitute 2 tablespoons vinegar in a pinch. However, I don’t like the smell the playdough makes.