I  remember the first time I made homemade playdough by myself. I was a young teen trying to make a batch from my mom’s recipe for the kids I babysat at the time.

Even though, I burned the pot on my first try, homemade playdough is super easy to make and so much better and more economical than store bought playdough.

 

 

The Very Best Homemade Playdough Recipe

 

I’ve been making playdough at home for what seems like forever. Though years of babysitting, teaching preschoolers, and raising my own 6 kids.

And this is my go-to homemade playdough recipe that always works and lasts a long time.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

4 tsp cream of tartar

2 T cooking oil

Optional: coloring or scents

 

How to Make Homemade Playdough:

 

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot.

Turn the heat up to medium and cook, stirring constantly.

Be sure to scrape the bottom as you stir to prevent burning.

Continue to cook and stir until the mixture forms a ball and is dry to the touch.

Remove the pot from heat and continue to stir until all moisture has been absorbed.

Turn out the playdough on to the counter or table and knead it for a few minutes (caution: it’s hot!) until the dough is smooth.

Store your homemade playdough in an airtight container.

 

Need a hard drying clay? Try my Homemade Air Dry Clay Recipe!

 

 

Homemade Playdough Variations:

 

Scented Playdough: mix in some of your favorite kid-safe essential oils to provide some aromatherapy while the kids play. My favorite scents are lavender, frankincense, lemon, and sweet orange.

 

Glitter Playdough: Mix in a handful of glitter during the kneading process

 

Rainbow Playdough: Skip adding the color while cooking and divide the playdough and add different colors during kneading for a rainbow of dough.

 

Spicy Playdough: Add in a few shakes of cinnamon, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice for a great fall scented playdough.

 

Glow in the Dark Playdough: Add in Glow Pigment before cooking for a fun glow in the dark experience!

 

And don’t forget to add rolling pins, cookie cutters, stamps, and other fun add-ons to make playing with homemade playdough even more fun!

 

How to Make Homemade Playdough

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Easy, soft homemade playdough

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Materials

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 2 cups water
• 4 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 T cooking oil
• Optional: coloring or scents

Tools

• large pot
• stirring spoon

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot.
2. Turn the heat up to medium and cook, stirring constantly. Be sure to scrape the bottom as you stir to prevent burning.
3. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture forms a ball and is dry to the touch.
4. Remove the pot from heat and continue to stir until all moisture has been absorbed.
5. Turn out the playdough on to the counter or table and knead it for a few minutes (caution: it’s hot!) until the dough is smooth.

Notes

Store your homemade playdough in an airtight container.

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