Homemade playdough is a mixture of water, flour, salt, food coloring, and vegetable oil. When mixed together, it enables children to create colorful crafts. Playdough enhances hand-eye coordination and  develops fine motor skills in children as they squeeze, roll, push, and pull.  Your child can learn about measurement and numbers as they pour ingredients into a measuring cup. They also learn about science as they observe and talk about how the ingredients feel and how they change when mixed together.  Making homemade playdough provides hours of fun!

Materials:

  • Measuring cup

  • Tablespoon

  • 2 Mixing bowls

  • Cutting board (cutting board mat, parchment paper, or wax paper can also be used)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of flour

  • ½ cup of warm water

  • ¾ cup of salt

  • 1 tablespoons of vegetable oil

  • Food coloring

Directions:

Step 1: Pour ½ cup of water into a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add food coloring to the water.

Step 3: Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to the colored water.

Step 4: Add 2 cups of flour to a different bowl.

Step 5: Add ¾ cup of salt to the flour.

Step 6: Stir the flour and salt mixture together.

Step 7: Pour the flour and salt mixture into the colored water and stir.  It will look crumbly.

Step 8: On your cutting board, knead your playdough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.  Add a very little extra warm water if necessary.

Step 9: Once your playdough is smooth, have fun creating!

Step 10: When finished with your playdough, put it in a ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator.

Resources:

Want to learn more about playdough and all the fun things you can do with it? Check out the books below!

Play-Doh Pioneer by Lee Slater

Part of the Toy Trailblazers series

In this engaging biography, readers will learn about the pioneer of Play-Doh, Joseph McVicker. Follow the story from McVicker’s childhood, his education at Brown University, joining his father’s company Kutol Products, and his reinvention of the company’s Kutol Wall Cleaner as Play-Doh. Learn how Play-Doh is made, who came up with the name, the role of Captain Kanagroo in Play-Doh’s success, and about other Play-Doh products.

Mudworks: Creative Clay, Dough, and Modeling Experiences by MaryAnn Kohl

Contains over 100 creative art ideas for children working with clay and related activities.

Look, I’m a Scientist

Provides step-by-step instructions for over twelve science experiments, demonstrating why water turns to ice, what causes static electricity, and how to create bubbles.

The Everything Toddler Activities Book: Over 400 Games and Projects to Entertain and Educate by Joni Levine

Overview: You play with your toddler, but is she learning? You teach your toddler, but is he having fun? Now you can play and teach your toddler at the same time with this book. Written by an experienced child-care expert, this informative and fun guide shows you how to stimulate your child’s development with age-appropriate, enjoyable, and educational activities.