Hey Mamas! With the weather starting to feel a little more seasonal, I find myself having to get creative with indoor activities, especially for after my son’s nap when it’s too dark to play outside. Play-dough is one of those classic hands-on activities for rainy/snowy/cold days when you want to keep the kiddos playing and thinking instead of sitting in front of the TV. While it’s always super easy to buy play-dough, I think making it is a fun, affordable way to turn it into a two-part learning experience by getting the kids involved in the process. They also feel pretty proud of themselves for making their very own play-dough! Not to mention- the colors are heavenly.
This is a ridiculously simple play-dough recipe that I’ve known for a while now. I’m not even sure where I stumbled upon it, but it’s my favorite of all the play-dough recipes I’ve tried and is really easy to memorize for future batches. Once you know the ratios, it’s easily halved or doubled.
Here is all you need to get messy and have some fun:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 3oz. package of jello powder mix in your little one’s favorite color
Method:
Add all of the ingredients to a medium sauce pan and stir until blended. (My son loves adding the ingredients together! I just make sure to guide his little hand so we don’t end up with flour everywhere.)
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and starts to look like play-dough. It will be difficult to stir it at this point.
Spoon it onto a mound of flour and let cool for at least 20-30 minutes.
Pour some flour on top and begin working it and kneading it, continuing to add flour until it no longer feels sticky. (This is where the real fun starts for the kids).
If you want, you can even add glitter to your play-dough! It prefers the dough to your hands so don’t worry about being covered in glitter. And now…..PLAYTIME!! I let my son use whatever plastic kitchen gadgets we can dig up to add to the fun and make designs, cut into the play-dough, etc.
Now your pretty home-made play-dough can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to three weeks. If it ever starts to feel a little sticky again, just add some more flour! Added bonus…each color has the subtle scent of whatever flavor jello you chose.
Happy play-dough-making! What are some of your favorite indoor activities?