Make your own Play Dough

Image taken from Google

Play dough (cooked version)

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

1 cup flour
1 cup water
½ cup fine salt
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp cream of tartar
Food colouring

*1 cup = approx. 240ml

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix oil, water and food colouring together. 
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. 
3. Cook on medium or low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball. 
4. Cool slightly and gently knead. 
5. Store in airtight container or ziplock bag.

Play dough (uncooked version)

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

3 cups of flour
1 cup of water
~1/4 cup of salt
1 bottle cap of oil
Food colouring

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add flour and water into the bowl. Knead.
2. Add oil.
3. Mix food colouring with a little water and pour into mixture.
4. Add salt and continue to knead.
5. If the mixture is too wet or mushy, add more flour.
6. If the mixture is too dry or hard, add more water.
7. Store in airtight container or ziplock bag.

Both recipes will work. The cooked version requires more work but it will last longer. It lasted for a good 6 to 7 months in my classroom! Just remember to store it in an airtight container and use/knead it frequently to sustain the texture.

Play dough is soft and children can make anything out of it! This encourages creative and open-ended play experiences. It's both process- and product-oriented, where children can feel a sense of comfort and achievement from the process of making and the product they made. As children mould the play dough, they practise their fine-motor skills such as finger dexterity and muscle control. Sensory experiences like this is also relaxing and therapeutic.

Unlike store-bought play dough, this is a cost-effective and child-friendly alternative! Using kitchen ingredients means that it's free of harmful chemicals - a sigh of relief for parents with young children who love to explore materials using their mouths! It's also really easy to make and you can even involve your child in the process of making the play dough! In the making process, children will observe and learn how the ingredients work together to transform into different consistency. It also creates opportunities for improvisation and problem-solving whenever challenges arise. Most importantly, your child will enjoy it!

Have fun and knead away!