Perfect Play Dough in 5 Minutes

Play dough, in my opinion, is the best base for so many different kinds of sensory and educational activities. It is a classic and so super easy to make and keep at home! There are lots of creative and fun variations you can try out but for now here is a simple, quick and easy recipe that will result in a perfectly soft dough you will have difficulty keeping your hands off of.

Home made play dough in 5 minutes

You will need:

• 2 cups of plain (all purpose) flour
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 to 1.5 cups boiling water (Add the extra half cup slowly while kneading in between to check on the consistency)
• Glycerine 1/4-1/2 teaspoon (Don’t worry if you don’t have this one! But if you can manage, it adds shine and softness to the dough).
• Optional extras: Food colouring, Brusho, essential scented oils, glitter, natural materials, spices

Instructions:

• Add the flour, cream of tartar and salt to a large bowl and mix together
• Add the vegetable oil
• Measure out your boiling water and if you are using food colouring or glitter add these to your water and mix it together
• Add the water to your bowl of ingredients slowly and mix it until it starts to come together. Remember to be careful with your final half cup of water as you may not need all of this.
• Once it has come together and is cool enough to touch drop it onto a surface lightly dusted with flour, flatten it and add 1/4 teaspoon of glycerin if you have it.
• Knead it! The fun part! Knead it until it is the consistency you desire (everyone is different) add the remaining glycerin if you feel you need to and at this point you can also add essential oils to give it a lovely scent (highly recommend this!)

Tips:

The best part about making homemade play dough is the kneading process. It is so much fun and feels therapeutic in a way as the dough is lovely, soft and warm. If your children are helping to make the dough just be sure that it has cooled enough for them to handle (as sometimes the surface feels safe but there are pockets of heat).

Add the glycerin in small increments so the dough doesn’t get too sticky. If you are choosing to add scented essential oils then put less glycerin as too many oily and wet ingredients will make your dough sticky.

If you think your dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour and knead until perfect. Likewise, if you feel it is too dry, add water in tiny increments and more glycerin if you like until it feels right to you. I would settle on the dough being slightly softer and stickier as it will dry out a bit during play and storage as well.

Variations:There is so much you can do with play dough! You can make it glittery, add sequins or include natural ingredients like small leaves, seeds or fresh lavender. You can add food colour for soft pastel colours or Wilton gel colour/Brusho for more concentrated and vibrant colours. Add cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg for warm autumn scents or lighter scents can be added by using various essential oils. If you don’t have essential oils you could include baby oil, vanilla or orange essence or I have even used Nesquik chocolate and strawberry powder to add scent and variation to our play dough! Be creative and have fun.

Storage:

Home made play dough should keep for 3-4 months if looked after well. Wrap your play dough in cling film, store it in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry environment out of direct sunlight.

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