No more Playdough

[Mom-ninja.]

I'd like the best tried and true play dough recipe. I'd also like your favorite brand to purchase....one without chemicals.

[hsmamainva]

I have to make playdoh for my youngest, as she's allergic to wheat. Here's my favorite recipe:

 

Stove Top Play Dough

 

1 1/2 cups finely ground white rice flour (such as Bob's Red Mill)

3/4 cup salt

3 tsp. cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups water

2 tbsp. canola oil

*optional food coloring or essential oil for fun scents (such as lavender)

 

Sift together the flour, salt and cream of tartar. Heat water and oil (and food coloring or essential oil if desired) over medium heat in a large saucepan . Add the flour mixture and stir constantly with a spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan (you may need to add a smidge more water if it's too dry). Place dough onto rice floured counter top and let cool slightly. Knead dough until smooth and no longer sticky. When it feels very similar to regular Play Dough, you are done! Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic baggie.

[Rosie_0801]

Equal parts smooth peanut butter and either milk powder or cornstarch.

 

Rosie

[AnneC]

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

food colouring

 

Mix together over medium heat until it starts to congeal. It will go a different colour. Turn out onto the bench and knead until smooth.

 

This keeps in the fridge for over a year, unless your kids like to leave it out so it dries out.:confused:

[home4school]

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

food colouring

 

Mix together over medium heat until it starts to congeal. It will go a different colour. Turn out onto the bench and knead until smooth.

 

This keeps in the fridge for over a year, unless your kids like to leave it out so it dries out.:confused:

 

We made this a few months ago, but didn't add cream of tartar or food coloring. Instead we added different packs of Kool-Aid to different batches for colors. We also didn't have to mix over medium heat, just use boiling water instead. Mix Kool-Aid, flour, salt in bowl. Add oil, then boiling water. Stir well. Knead on counter until mixed and smooth. It was super easy and one of the few craft/activities we've tried that actually turned out! Its still soft and pliable and smells great even today!

 

We're even making 4 or 5 different colors for our niece for Christmas. We just kept ours in big ziploc bags, but for our niece we bought some big plastic storage containers for each color. Her name is Karson, so we're going to label it "Karson Klay - Made in the USA"!:)

 

Kim

Edited December 16, 2009 by home4school

[springmama]

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

food colouring

 

Mix together over medium heat until it starts to congeal. It will go a different colour. Turn out onto the bench and knead until smooth.

 

This keeps in the fridge for over a year, unless your kids like to leave it out so it dries out.:confused:

 

ditto

This is the only kind we use. I hate the chemical stuff.

[Emilylou]

This is the best play dough ever! Last forever and doesn't smell! We love it!

 

 

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

food colouring

 

Mix together over medium heat until it starts to congeal. It will go a different colour. Turn out onto the bench and knead until smooth.

 

This keeps in the fridge for over a year, unless your kids like to leave it out so it dries out.:confused:

[Matryoshka]

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

food colouring

 

Mix together over medium heat until it starts to congeal. It will go a different colour. Turn out onto the bench and knead until smooth.

 

 

This is identical to the play-dough recipe I used to use, except for some reason mine only called for 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Best play-dough ever - no fail. So much better than the kind from the can. :tongue_smilie:

[Chris in VA]

Yep, another vote for the playdough mentioned.

A little preschool teacher trick--use an oiled surface, not a floured one, to knead it, and oil your hands, too.

Oh, and I double the recipe. At least.

[Erica in OR]

Just a silly piece of information - from http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/playdoh.htm, "Play-Doh was originally designed as a wallpaper cleaner. However, its similarity to regular modeling clay without the toxicity or mess made Play-Doh a great toy." So if you've got dirty wallpaper...

 

As an aside, all the ingredients in homemade play-doh are chemicals too, including water. :tongue_smilie:

 

Erica in OR

[SonshineLearner]

I'd love a recipe for playdoh like... "Mary's Playdoh."... anyone used that? Soft...not salty..... and beautiful colors and smells...

[Chris in VA]

I'd love a recipe for playdoh like... "Mary's Playdoh."... anyone used that? Soft...not salty..... and beautiful colors and smells...

 

Have you tried the above recipe? It's not grainy at all.

[Mrs Mungo]

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

food colouring

 

Mix together over medium heat until it starts to congeal. It will go a different colour. Turn out onto the bench and knead until smooth.

 

This keeps in the fridge for over a year, unless your kids like to leave it out so it dries out.:confused:

 

Yep, this is the recipe we use. It works great!

[BikeBookBread]

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

food colouring

 

Mix together over medium heat until it starts to congeal. It will go a different colour. Turn out onto the bench and knead until smooth.

 

 

Another endorsement for this recipe. Could I add a further bit of instruction though? May seem obvious, but in case it isn't, mix the dry ingredients well, mix the wet ingredients separately, and then combine in the pan so that everything is mixed uniformly.

 

Works wonderfully. I also add a teensy bit of mint or vanilla extract in with the liquid ingredients before I mix into the dry ingredients. It feels so good to knead this warm dough...very therapeutic :)

[JillZ]

Just a silly piece of information - from http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/playdoh.htm, "Play-Doh was originally designed as a wallpaper cleaner. However, its similarity to regular modeling clay without the toxicity or mess made Play-Doh a great toy." So if you've got dirty wallpaper...

 

As an aside, all the ingredients in homemade play-doh are chemicals too, including water. :tongue_smilie:

 

Erica in OR

 

As a chemist, I want to add that EVERYTHING is made of chemicals. :D

[Mom-ninja.]

Another endorsement for this recipe. Could I add a further bit of instruction though? May seem obvious, but in case it isn't, mix the dry ingredients well, mix the wet ingredients separately, and then combine in the pan so that everything is mixed uniformly.

 

Works wonderfully. I also add a teensy bit of mint or vanilla extract in with the liquid ingredients before I mix into the dry ingredients. It feels so good to knead this warm dough...very therapeutic :)

 

Unmasking my ignorance....when do I add food coloring?

[Mom-ninja.]

As a chemist, I want to add that EVERYTHING is made of chemicals. :D

 

 

Very true. Of course you know what I meant. ;)

[Jennifer in NH]

I would just like to add that to get rid of the graininess all one needs to do is make sure that a very fine grained salt is used. I used to use whatever I had in the cupboard, and then I tried Diamond Crystal salt. I'm not trying to advertise, but the play dough came out much better!

and it is best to add the food colouring to the liquid ingredients to have a more uniform colour.

[EKS]

I'd like the best tried and true play dough recipe. I'd also like your favorite brand to purchase....one without chemicals.

 

 

To be fair, even the most natural play doh in the world will contain chemicals. :)

[jenniferlee]

Also, just to add, if you are trying to go all natural, DO NOT add food coloring.

[Mom-ninja.]

Also, just to add, if you are trying to go all natural, DO NOT add food coloring.

 

You could use coloring from beets, carrots, and such. :D

[swellmomma]

My favorites are koolaid playdough, and pumpkin pie playdough. Both smell heavenly and are so soft. I make huge batches because all the kids want to play with it. I posted the pumpkin pie playdough recipe on here Oct/Nov 2008 if you do a search, it is also on my blog.

 

TO cut out the grainyness of the salt, I dissolve it in the water first and then add the kool aid packs to that solution before combining with the rest of the dry ingredients. Keeps the playdough nice and smooth not grainy.