We are big fans of playdough in our house. Huge fans, in fact.
Littlest Angel in particular got into playdough really early on, and it’s been her go-to Quiet-Play activity of choice for ages.
For more than 3 years, she has been rolling it, squishing it and creating with it. And, when she hasn’t been creating with it, she has been exploring by licking it, eating it and sticking it up her nose and in her ears.
Over the years, we’ve made aliens, mermaids, snowmen, unusual and not easily definable structures and sculptures and lots of food. Lots and lots of food. (Perhaps it’s why Big Boy and Littlest Angel love helping to bake so much – they trained up in the Playdough kitchen)
I came across this great recipe to make your own Playdough from Imagination Tree a few years ago and have made it dozens of times. It feels really soft and squishy, you can make lovely vibrant colours and it lasts months if you put it away each time in an airtight container.
…it also really does just take 5 minutes to make!
So, with many thanks to Imagination Tree for the hundreds of hours of fun they’ve helped us have, here’s the recipe……
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- Up to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
- food colouring (optional)
Method:
- Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a large mixing bowl
- Add food colouring TO the boiling water then into the dry ingredients (colour optional)
- Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough
- Add the glycerine (optional)
- Allow it to cool down then take it out of the bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes until all of the stickiness has gone. * This is the most important part of the process, so keep at it until it’s the perfect consistency!*
- (If it remains a little sticky then add a touch more flour until just right)
(Top Tip: Use food colouring gel rather than normal food colouring as it makes much prettier and more vibrant-coloured dough.)
….Anyone for a Full English?!