Paul and Cori

Things we love: cooking, photography, crocheting, reading, math and board games.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Toddler Fun: Homemade Play dough!

Play-Doh is so much fun! But it gets too hard too fast. Especially for little 2 year old hands! So today, Kat and I made play dough, problem solved! 
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tea cream of tartar
Stir in a pan with 1 cup water
1 Tbl oil (veg or olive)


Cook on med-low for about 5 min. Stir often until mixture is more doughy, stiffens and pulls away from pan. 
Stir in food coloring and 
10-20 drops lemon essential oil. 
Lemon essential oil adds a nice happy smell, it is revitalizing and uplifting. So even toddlers in their terrrrible twos may soon be in a better mood! 

Let cool for a couple minutes. 
Knead dough for a couple minutes. 
I added a little more lemon oil in a thumbprint hole in the dough because I wanted a stronger smell, I think by the end I had 20 drops. 
The dough was really sticky at first. I kept rolling it in flour and squishing and kneading until it wasn't sticky anymore. 
Ready! 
Store in an air tight container. 
And have fun!

Kat played with her play dough in a giant cardboard box- fun, clean, and less cat hair and rug fuzz to contend with. The homemade play dough did leave some oily spots on the cardboard box, but it's totally worth it for the low cost and high fun!
I think this amount of dough would be perfect for 2 colors. I only did one, but to make 2, just divide the dough in half after the essential oil step. Add the color in thumbprint holes and squish and knead it in until it's incorporated. 

For a gluten-free alternative use a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of rice flour and cornstarch. 

Play dough too dry? Add oil. 
Play dough too sticky? Add flour. 
Play dough too stinky? Add essential oil. 


What's next? Funny Toddler pants! 

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