Baby and Kids
The Best Easy and Homemade Playdough Recipe
You’ve probably seen dough jars and sensory dough kits selling for anywhere from $7-$45. They are perfect for little hands, and quickly became one of our sensory play activities. But there had to be a more affordable option, so I decided to make my own playdough. I did some research and went all out, making my own play dough and sensory jar. This dough is soft, easy to make, lasts a long time, and costs a lot less than store-bought options. Years later, my kids still love this stuff. Here’s the best playdough recipe.
The Best Easy and Homemade Playdough Recipe
We introduced our daughter to play dough when she was just a toddler. It was the easiest way to give her a sensory play experience without a huge mess. Years later, at age seven, she will still join her little brother and sister when they play with play dough. It’s one of the activities all three of my kids enjoy. These sets are always a hit and are a great way keep kids engaged and busy. This easy playdough recipe makes perfectly soft playdough and might not turn out as beautiful as some of the ones that come with those fancy sensory kits. But trust me when I tell you – your kids won’t notice.
DIY Sensory Kits
At first, I ordered a few little things on Etsy to use with the store-bought dough that we already had. Then I decided to try to make my own homemade playdough recipe with simple, natural ingredients. It was easy and so much fun to get the kids involved. just whip up a quick batch of playdough and put everything in 16 oz. airtight container which is much easier than storing in a huge box. You can make it in your kids’ favorite colors, and have brand new, colorful dough whenever you need it.
Sensory kits and jars are such a fun activity for young kids. They keep kids engaged and can be themed to whatever their interests are. Sensory kits are the perfect on-the-go toy, or are great for rainy days.
Here’s everything I used to make playdough sensory kits
Etsy is by far the best resource for baubles and embellishments for these sensory kits, but I’ve gotten a few things on Amazon, too. You can use your own store-bought playdough, but making it and coming up with custom colors was the best part.
Full Ingredients List
This is a simple DIY playdough recipe that uses simple ingredients from your local grocery store, and you only need a few things you have at home. I tried a few different recipes and played with ingredients, and this was by far my favorite recipe.
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup of salt
8 tbsp. cream of tartar (two small jars)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups water
gel food coloring in a few different colors (just add one or two drops of food color to start)
optional: add essential oils for fun and seasonal scents
Mix the flour mixture in a large bowl.
Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix the two together.
Cook playdough in a large pot over low to medium heat until mixture looks like playdough.
Yes, this easy recipe is that simple.
Remove from heat and let the mixture cool. It will feel a little gooey but will get better with a little kneading. Place the mixture in a ziploc bag and add a few drops of food coloring. The next time I did this, I wore rubber gloves which helped keep my hands from being stained by the food dye. You can also knead the play dough within within the bag to contain the sticky mess vs mixing in the pot. Keep kneading until dough forms and then enjoy your homemade dough.
Place your own play dough in an air-tight container and add sensory pieces to the jar if you’re looking to make a sensory kit.
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