playdough fun times with the ultimate playdough recipe

play dough is so super easy to make you won't even believe it.  i'll give you the recipe i use here today, but this post is about how to jazzy your kids imagination right up by switching up what you give them to play with alongside the dough.  these pics were taken on st. patty's day a couple years ago.  note the shamrocking that is happening. 

i love thrifting old school kitchen doomahickies for this.  things like egg slicers (did a major big time dorky happy dance when i thought of that one), cookie cutters, honey stirrers, rolling pins and potato mashers/ricers are so awesome.  anything that creates texture or different shapes, really.  forego buying toys and play dough kits and just open your kitchen drawers or hit up the thrift store.

the most patting on the back i ever did to myself as far as play dough is concerned...  (that might just be the most random sentence i have ever typed)... is when i thought to place a square of canvas material under the happy play dough fun times and realized it doesn't stick to it and keeps it off my table.  clean up is sooo much easier if you do this!

cooking time: about 10 minz a batch
ingredients:

1 cup water

2 Tbsp. oil

Food coloring

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar


i know what you are thinking cause i thought it and did it the first time i saw this playdough recipe! "i'll just quadroople the recipe because i want a zillion different colours..."  well, don't.  if you do, you will have to divide the dough you make and add the colour to the dough with your hands and a now rainbow cutting board.  oof.  just make a separate batch for each colour. it's fast.  and fun.

k, now that we have that out of our systems, add the water, oil & about 4-8 drops food colouring to a saucepan (obvz the more you put in, the brighter the colour will be).  stir to mix that up super good and then add the rest of the ingredients. 

stir constantly over medium low heat so it doesn't lump up.  it will start to thicken and pull away from the sides.  once it starts to form a ball, remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes so you don’t burn yourself.  plop it onto the counter and knead it gently.  once you start having way to much fun in the kneading department....it's ready for your kids to have a go!