The Best Play Dough Recipe

I thought I’d share my favourite play dough recipe with you all. I used this recipe for years when I was teaching the infant grades in schools, and my own children had a constant supply of it at home too. It is simply the best recipe I’ve ever come across for play dough and it’s really simple!

This play dough does not need to be kept in the fridge like many others do. In my classrooms it would be stored on a shelf.

It lasts for ages, and ages, as long as you keep it in an air-tight container. I usually made a new batch each term, and it was used most days.

The school’s cleaners loved it, because if it got into the carpet (and let’s face it, with kids it’s going to get into the carpet), you would just let it dry and then scuff it with your shoe and it would easily break down, and then it could be vacuumed up. Presto! All clean and tidy.

The recipe uses ingredients from your pantry, so if the kids do eat it (and again, let’s face it, most kids are going to try it at least once in their life), it is completely safe. It does have a LOT of salt in it, so that should be a natural deterrent to eating it a second time, but I have known kids that would just want to eat more 🤪. I certainly wouldn’t encourage the eating of it as it does get handled and rolled on tables, and dropped on the floor . . .

This play dough also has the best feel to it. It really does feel good to play with. In my Prep classrooms I would put play dough out in the mornings as one of the activities for the kids to engage with as they came into class, and while their parents were with them, and let me tell you, just as many parents would play with the play dough as the kids 🤣

Play dough is great for imaginative play, which also incorporates problem solving (a very necessary life skill). It is also great for developing fine motor skills as children manipulate it to create things with it, and as they use various tools with it. It’s an activity that children can do on their own for some quiet time, but it’s also great for sharing with others (just make sure you have plenty to go around).

So here’s the recipe (and below, I’ll provide some tips on extras to add to it to make it even more fun):

BEST EVER PLAY DOUGH RECIPE

Ingredients:
2 cups plain (all purpose) flour
2 tablespoons Cream of Tartar (found in the baking section of the supermarket)
1 cup salt
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
food colouring

Method:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan. (I like to use a whisk to mix it and to get all of the lumps out BEFORE turning on the stove.)
2. Turn on the stove to a medium heat, and with a sturdy wooden spoon stir the mixture until it congeals and forms into a large ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. IMPORTANT: Stir constantly, otherwise it will catch and burn on the bottom of the saucepan.
3. Turn out onto your kitchen bench and lightly knead it for a few minutes to get it to a smooth texture and to release some of the heat from it. (I like to spread it out a little and leave it for a few minutes too cool before putting it into an air-tight container or zip-lock bag).

RECIPE TIP: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE A DOUBLE BATCH IN YOUR SAUCEPAN!! Aside from killing your arms as you try to stir the large amount of very thick play dough, you will likely also break your wooden spoon trying to stir very large amount of thick play dough (speaking from experience 🤣 🤣 🤣).

FUN ADD-INS FOR YOUR PLAY DOUGH:
*. If making a couple different colours of play dough, allow the children to blend the two coloured play doughs together and see what happens with the colours (it’s never too early to start exploring colour theory 🤪 🤣).
* Try adding glitter to your play dough for some sparkly fun. Fine glitter will not change the texture or feel of the play dough, but larger, more chunky, types of glitter will give a different feel. You can match your glitter to your play dough colour or add a different colour.
*. Try other add-in for a different feel. As your play dough starts to get old, you can give it an extra something for its last few uses with things like adding sawdust, or other slightly course materials. Some children really like the different feel, while others do not.

I hope your kids have fun with this. Please sent me an email and let me know what you think of this play dough. (Use the ‘Contact Us’ button at the top of the page to send me an email.)