Home > Green Crafts > Play Dough
Play Dough
Is there a child on the Earth who doesn’t like play dough? For years and years it’s been a favourite toy for many of us, and it’s still enjoyed by many children nowadays! It's fun, it's creative and can be used over and over again. However children like putting things in their mouth and if they play with store-bought play dough, they could end up eating some nasty chemicals. Not very nice, isn’t it? Also buying and replacing a play dough could be costly; don’t forget it has its life span. Making your own play dough is a great alternative and it’s cheaper, more natural, better for your little one and also better for the environment. The homemade recipe of play dough is non-toxic and even if eaten, your child would be perfectly fine! However always stay near your child when playing with it, as the recipe contains salt which is better avoided in the first month and years of your child’s life.
The additional bonus to making your own play dough is that making it is a part of the play, it’s fun when kids help in mixing all the ingredients (and they love it!), and you also have much greater choice when it comes to colouring the dough by using natural food colours and even spices as turmeric or red pepper. So get started!
What you would need to make your own play dough is:
1 cup of water
1 cup of plain flour
½ cup of salt
2 tbsps cream of tartar
2 tbsps vegetable oil
A selection of food colourings
Making play dough is quite simple and quick. You'll first need to find a saucepan, and mix in the flour, salt and cream of tartar together. Make a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and then carefully pour in the water, mixing in to create a smooth consistency. Now you can add in a few drops of your chosen food colouring, as well as the 2 tablespoons of oil, making sure that all ingredients are consistently combined.
The mixture will then need to be transferred onto a medium heat, during which time it will require constant stirring. If your kiddie has been helping you prepare the play dough, it’s now time for mummy to take over him and make sure the child stays away from the hot-plate. Be careful – if you don't stir the mixture enough or have the temperature up too high, the dough will burn easily.
You will notice that the dough eventually starts to 'ball', although it may be a bit sticky. However, once the dough has contracted from the sides of the pan and balled, you can then remove it from the heat and leave to cool for up to half an hour.
Once that’s done, the dough will be ready for use! Don’t forget if you want lots of different play dough colours, you'll need to make several batches of dough and add different food colourings each time. If you are planning on making a variety of coloured dough, then it might be an idea to cut the quantities in the recipe above. Have fun!
Also in this section: Find out how to make your own recycled homemade paper and greeting cards.
Share your ideas about natural, "green" homemade toys. Email us here.