Homemade playdough is so easy to make and it’s so much better than store bought. DIY playdough recipes only take 5 minutes to make with a few ingredients you probably have at home. Make your recipe suit your kids likes and they’ll be entertained for hours!
Homemade Playdough
I remember wanting playdough in our house as a kid. It’s such a therapeutic tool for kids, and has so many applications. I remember seeing all those playdough toys you could use. Rolling the dough, cutting the dough, making things. Getting the colors all mixed together.
But playdough doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need to get all those fancy things to make playing with playdough fun. It’s just as fun and is super easy to make. And, the best part is that you want make it anytime you need it!
Kids stuck at home and bored? Make some playdough.
Homemade Playdough Ingredients
While there are different versions of playdough recipes, we’ve found that most recipes contain the following”
flour – all-purpose flour
water – just regular tap water
cream of tartar – just a tablespoon
salt – 1/2 cup
vegetable oil – just a tablespoon, you can substitute coconut oil (this probably makes the playdough smell great)
food coloring – use gel food coloring to get the best colors
How to Make Homemade Playdough
- Most recipes have you mix all of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cream of tartar) and mix together.
- On the stovetop, mix the water and vegetable oil. Mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
- Cook on medium heat and stir together. Continue stirring over the heat until the dough starts to thicken. It will begin to turn into a ball as you continue stirring.
- Take off heat and let cool.
- Once it’s cool, knead the dough for 5 minutes until it’s combined and soft.
Adding color:
Recipes vary here, but you can add the food coloring to the water and vegetable oil, or wait until the end and add the drops of coloring to the cooled dough, and knead into the dough.
It might be easier if you’re only using one color to add it during the water/oil stage. This will give the color a greater spread.
If, however, you want to make multiple colors from one batch, cook the playdough, then separate and add the colors as you knead the playdough.
Do You Need to Use Cream of Tartar in Playdough Recipe?
You do need to use cream of tartar in a playdough recipe. This is what makes the dough soft. If you leave it out, you’ll still get playdough, but it might be dry and not smooth.
How to Get Bright Playdough Colors
In order to get the bright playdough colors that you might be seeking, you should use gel food coloring. Your typical baking food coloring just isn’t going to penetrate the dough and will fade as you mix it.
This is similar to what happens with baking. I always use gel food colorings in my cakes and frostings. The colors are bright and vibrant.
How to Keep Playdough Soft
The first step to keeping your diy playdough soft is to keep it in an airtight container. This is just like regular playdough. If you leave it out, the air will dry it out.
A secondary measure you can do, it wrap it in plastic wrap, then put it in an airtight container. The plastic wrap will add a layer of protection against it drying out.
Homemade Playdough Recipes
Homemade playdough is so easy to make and there’s a lot of room to be creative with your recipe. You can add coloring, scents, and even other ingredients! We’ve compiled a list of 15 of the best playdough recipes.
"This rainbow coloured playdough is such fun! Follow our easy homemade playdough recipe that kids will love!"
"And it worked because I came up with a recipe for SUPER soft playdough. It is really the softest playdough we’ve made."
Playdough recipe with a Frozen theme.
"f your preschooler loves playdough, they will adore Hidden Treasure Playdough! It’s a fun way to present small toys that children can use in their imaginative playdough play."
"I love is you can tailor the recipe to make just a little bit or mounds and mounds of it for the whole neighborhood to play with."
"The best part about this play dough is that it does NOT need flour and the kids can make this chilled play dough all by themselves simply because there isn’t any cooking or hot water involved and all are ingredients are edible."
"It is all-natural (except for the glitter) and beautifully colored with powered flower petals."
"t’s quick and easy and we never have to worry about making a trip to the store when we run out. The recipe I’ve been using smells delicious and is super soft."
"Playdough is an adaptable, open-ended, and inexpensive sensory experience. It’s fun and easy to delight your children by preparing a fresh batch for any occasion or holiday. Shared below is a recipe for Marbled Valentine’s Day Playdough. It’s bright, soft, and only takes 5 minutes to make."
"Playdough is great for sensory input and encouraging creativity. It’s a fun and easy gift to make for kids during the holiday season, too."
This is a no cook and quick playdough recipe.
"Strawberry Glitter Playdough is fabulous for sensory play. It also makes a beautiful and thoughtful gift for small children."
"This super soft playdough recipe is so easy to make. It requires no cooking and is made with a unique ingredient for squishable soft results."
"I love this play dough because it is so soft (and easy for little hands), it lasts forever, and the texture is not sticky or crumbly."
"Beach-themed Under the Sea Playdough is perfect for kids who need a quiet sensory break from the hustle and bustle of traveling."
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