If you’re a mommy chances are that playdough is a staple item in your household–(and if not, it should be! it’s a great and wonderful toy for preschoolers, all sorts of sensory learning opportunities in it!) What you might not know is that it can be quickly, easily, and cheaply made from items you probably already have in your house. The home made variety smells a lot better, and is also easier to get out of carpet–in the unlikely event your children just *happen* to take it off of the table and grind it into the carpet. Not that that has ever happened in my house!

Here’s the recipe–as you can see my daughter *loves* it! If you look on the food coloring box it will tell you how many drops to use to get colors like purple.

Homemade Playdough Recipe

In a small pot over low heat add
2 TBL Oil
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Salt
2 TBL Cream of Tartar
Add as little or as much Food Coloring as you’d like.  On the box it will have directions for how many drops to use to get different colors. If you want to have fun you can buy the neon set for brighter playdough colors.
Just stir all together. You might have to take it off the heat here and there but keep stirring, it’ll ball up in a few minutes. When it starts to look like playdough and it’s tough to get your spoon to stir and it’s all stuck together in a ball it’s done. Then put it in a bowl or wax paper to cool and it’s ready to go.  Store in the fridge in a big ziploc bag. If you consistently put it away like this it will keep for several months.

Happy play-doughing!