Finally, I’ve found a play dough recipe that works! Not only works, but makes amazing, easy, great quality play dough. It really is true that once you find the perfect play dough recipe – you can make a product better than you’ll buy at the store. I was starting to doubt my ability to pull off this great culinary feat. Even the priest that married me made light of my ‘skills’ in the kitchen. It’s no secret I can’t bake and struggle with cooking. So when my first 2 batches of play dough failed last month, I had decided that making your own play dough from scratch was an urban myth…one of those things only a super mom can do. But – I’ve conquered the recipe and not only is it easy, but guaranteed you’ll have 90% of the ingredients already kicking around your pantry. Play dough isn’t cheap to buy so you’ll save money and also help the environment because store bought play dough containers don’t have recycling resin codes.
Okay…before the recipe reveal I’d like to admit that the first two times I tried making play dough I wasn’t aware that the ingredient ‘cream of tartar’ was a baking item (looks like salt that you buy in the spice isle). I thought they were asking you to add tarter sauce – the creamy kind that goes on fish and chips. Just in case there are people with my cooking skills out there….these products are totally different and is probably the reason my other batches stayed wet and never gelled. I know, who thought it could be this hard? <smile>
Play Dough Recipe:
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoon cream of tartar (find it in the spice section)
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
food coloring
Mix first 4 ingredients in a pan. Add water and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 – 5 minutes. Dough will become difficult to stir and form a “clump”. Remove from stove and knead for 5 minutes–add food coloring during kneading process. Play dough will keep for a long time stored in a covered plastic container or plastic sandwich bag.
This amount of play dough this recipe produced was perfect. Each of my 4 kids received a huge clump of play dough, so there was lots to share. Also, a great tip with Fall around the corner – add cinnamon to the dry ingredients (as much as you want until you get the right scent). It produces a magical smell that transports you to a world of pumpkin patches, colored leaves, and windy days.
When I make this recipe the salt doesn’t full dissolve and the play-doh is grained in texture. Is this how the recipe turns out? Or am I doing something wrong…
add the food color to the water and you won’t get your hands quite as colorful when you knead the playdough
When I was a preschool teacher this was my favorite recipe! This play dough keeps for a while and the children loved it. Now I can use it with my future grand children.
Robyn, You need to cook the ingredients before adding the flour then it will not be grainy.
One of my batches also came out grainy. I think the type of salt you use makes a difference. The grainy batch used sea salt (Kirkland brand). The better batch used regular table iodized salt. I think the table salt “melts” better into the mixture.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Adding kool-aid powder can make it smell fruity and still be colourful
Thank You for that recipe for the play dough it’s the same one I used years ago for my kids but I misplaced it . I thought this time I would use koolaide to colour it cause when I made icing for a cake one time I used koolaide for colouring and it was a lot better then the food colouring . It gave the icing a fruity taste. It was great
Wow! This is fantastic play dough! It is easy to make and turned out super soft! My kids love it, so much so, that my one son took it to bed with him(he is 3)! Thanks for the recipe it’s great!!
I used some fruit tea to colour mine with the cinnamon… Just gorgeous!
I used sea salt (Kirkland brand), and it didn’t come out grainy, I think because I only had about 1/3 of a cup left of that salt, so that’s what I used instead of the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for.
Thank you for posting this! Came out perfect! I added some cinnamon and it smelled so good.
I always add the food coloring to the water. less messy. something else that adds to the recipe: kneed in a quarter size dollop of scented hand/body lotion. it leaves a pleasing smell and smoother texture.
I love this recipe, but I never cook mine. I mix the dry ingredients while I boil the water and oil in the microwave. Just pour in and stir! Less dishes make me happy.
what kind of oil should I use ?
Just made it and it is great, the kids can wait to play with it. I made one pink, blue and green
Going to give this a try today! We’re in the middle of cupcake week, and we’re going to make some play dough cupcakes!
Lindsey @ GrowingKidsMinistry.com