Play Dough Fun

HOMEMADE PLAY DOUGH

This has got to be one of my son's favorite activities to do and it's surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make using simple ingredients that you most likely have on hand already and is nothing like the store bought stuff, this is so much better and is much more easier to clean up. Be sure to include your little one's help in the process of  making it because you can  include a little math lesson in it, measuring, counting, and fractions, hey it's never too early to start teaching and they will have so much fun and feel so special to be able to help out with making it.

Kneading the dough helps build those little muscles in his hands.

Speaking of lessons, the learning possibilities are endless, improving fine motor skills, learning colors, shapes, letters, numbers, spelling and they get to use their wonderful imaginations, you will be amazed with what your child comes up with.

  My son loves for me to roll the dough into lots of balls then we
count them together as he places them inside the baggy.

                                       

Here we used alphabet shaped cookie cutters to spell out my son's name.
We also cut out the whole alphabet and sang the alphabet song.

                    
     You will first need to decide what kind of play dough to make, there are so many different recipes out there to choose from. Just google it or you can go with the basic no cook recipe that I have included below which I find to be the easiest and you may choose to leave it add color if you want by just using food coloring or you can make it a wonderful sensory experience by adding in Kool Aid, Jello, Cocoa, spices, or essential oils. We chose to add Kool Aid to ours.

                                        For the basic recipe you will need:

                            2 Cups of All Purpose Flour ( any brand will do)
                            1/2 Cup Salt
                            2 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar (do not leave this out, I bought 
                             mine from Target for $1.55 which is the cheapest I have found it)
                            2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
                            2 Cups Boiling Water
                            Optional add ins; food color ( I bought mine from the dollar store)    
                             small box of Jello, small packet of Kool Aid, 1/2 cup of cocoa 
                              powder, spices or essential oils of your choosing.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, let it cool, then knead it until smooth. If you are allowing your child to help, it is best to mix it yourself first, then let it sit for a bit to cool before allowing your child near it to prevent them from getting burnt. Be sure to store in Ziploc baggies or airtight containers.

       Here we created a play dough kit, you can use things you already have around the house such as a rolling pin, cookie cutters, garlic press or whatever you want. I bought the rolling pin from target, the containers from an office supply store, and the cutters and press from my local craft store. This would also make a great home made gift.