Homemade (nonedible) Playdough
Basic ingredient ratios:
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)
food coloring (liquid, powder, or unsweetened drink mix)
scented oils
Mix all of the ingredients together, and stir over low heat. The dough will begin to thicken until it resembles mashed potatoes.
When the dough pulls away from the sides and clumps in the center, as shown below, remove the pan from heat and allow the dough to cool enough to handle.
IMPORTANT NOTE: if your playdough is still sticky, you simply need to cook it longer!
Keep stirring and cooking until the dough is dry and feels like playdough.
Turn the dough out onto a clean counter or silicone mat, and knead vigorously until it becomes silky-smooth. Divide the dough into balls for coloring.
Make a divot in the center of the ball, and drop some food coloring1 in. Fold the dough over, working the food color through the body of the playdough, trying to keep the raw dye away from your hands and the counter. You could use gloves or plastic wrap at this stage to keep your hands clean- only the concentrated dye will color your skin, so as soon as it's worked in bare hands are fine.
Work the dye through, adding more as necessary to achieve your chosen color.
1 If you use unsweetened drink mix for color, test on a small ball first- it won't go as far as the "real" food coloring.
Play with your playdough- I really don't need to help you there. It's entirely edible, if a bit salty, so it's kid-safe.
When you're done, store your playdough in an air-tight container.
- If it begins to dry out, you can knead a bit of water in again to soften the dough back to useability. Once it's dried past a certain point, however, you'll just have to start over; thankfully it's not terribly difficult.
- If it gets soggy, you can re-heat it to drive off the extra water the dough absorbed overnight. This is usually the result of high humidity, but is fixable!
You can also bake it in the oven to make hard dough figures and ornaments, then paint or otherwise decorate the surface.
I should add that we tried baking it in the oven with not such good results. However it was a rather large sculpture and I think smaller ones might be fine.
Here are some other recipes to try including eatable playdough!!
Uncooked Playdough
Materials -
Bowl
1 cup cold water
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Tempera paint or food coloring
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions -
In bowl, mix water, salt, oil, and enough tempera paint or food coloring to make a bright color.
Gradually add flour and cornstarch until the mixture reaches the consistency of bread dough.
Store covered.
Colored Playdough
Materials-
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring
Saucepan
1 cup flour
Directions-
Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.
Remove from heat and add flour.
Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don't have it on hand.
Store this dough in an airtight container or a Ziploc freezer bag.
Salt Playdough
Materials-
1 cup salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup flour plus additional flour
Saucepan
Directions-
Mix salt, water, and flour in saucepan and cook over medium heat.
Remove from heat when mixture is thick and rubbery.
As the mixture cools, knead in enough flour to make the dough workable.
Oatmeal Playdough
Materials-
1 part flour
1 part water
2 parts oatmeal
Bowl
Directions-
Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well and knead until smooth.
This playdough is not intended to be eaten, but it will not hurt a child who decides to taste it.
Store covered in refrigerator.
Your child can make this playdough without help; however, it doesn't last as long as cooked playdough.
Peanut Butter Playdough
Materials-
2 cups peanut butter
6 tablespoons honey
Nonfat dry milk or milk plus flour
Cocoa or carob for chocolate flavor (optional)
Edible treats for decoration
Directions-
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix, adding enough dry milk or milk plus flour to reach the consistency of bread dough.
Add cocoa or carob, if desired.
Shape, decorate with edible treats, and eat!
Kool-Aid Playdough
Materials-
1/2 cup salt
2 cups water
Saucepan
Food coloring, tempera powder, or Kool-Aid powder for color
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups sifted flour
2 tablespoons alum
Directions-
Combine salt and water in saucepan and boil until salt dissolves.
Remove from heat and tint with food coloring, tempera powder, or Kool-Aid.
Add oil, flour, and alum.
Knead until smooth.
This dough will last 2 months or longer.
Read more on FamilyEducation: http://fun.familyeducation.com/sculpting/recipes/37040.html#ixzz1vAW49NDc
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