How to Make Homemade Playdough

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This tutorial for How to Make Homemade Playdough is so easy that the kids can make it all on their own! This recipe makes 2 pounds of playdough and costs just $2.47 to make!

Do you need an easy activity to help keep the kids entertained for more than 30 seconds? Do you need a boredom buster that is sure to capture the attention span of all your kids? We have the perfect solution for you. Homemade playdough!

ALL of my kids spend time playing with playdough when I make this homemade recipe. Yes, even my older kids spend a few minutes with it. That is because everyone LOVES playdough.

Homemade Playdough

Homemade playdough is the best because you can get the kiddos involved in making it. They love to pick what color they want to add to their bag with their dough. It is great on a rainy day, too hot of a day, too cold of a day, or any day of the week. It is fun to get out and let the kiddos run with their imagination.

We love getting out our cookie cutters and rolling pins and making fun creations. Heck, even I like to get in on the fun. We have a cute Alphabet cookie cutter set that is fun to have the kids spell out different words. We do sight words, colors, names, and the possibilities go on and on. Mom’s school is fun! And they don’t even realize it is a lesson, and they are working their brains when I have them spell out different words.

Get your kiddos and supplies, and get ready to make the easiest homemade playdough ever (and have fun while doing it)!

How to Make Homemade Playdough Questions Answered:

You can try to make the playdough soft again by adding one drop of water at a time. Knead the playdough until it becomes smooth as you add the water. Another strategy is to wrap the playdough in a damp paper towel. Then place it in a container with a tight lid and let it sit overnight.

Do you keep Playdough in the fridge?

Yes, it is best to keep the playdough in the fridge to help keep it soft. I like to keep mine in a Ziplock bag, labeled with each kiddos name on it. You can also keep it in a Ziplock bag. 

How long does homemade play dough last?

Homemade playdough lasts for up to 3 months. If you keep it store it properly, it will stay soft and fresh for up to 3 months.

How to get the kids involved with this recipe:

• Ages 2-3: Put the playdough in a Ziploc bag with a drop of food coloring and let them squish the bag up to mix the color with the playdough. 
• Ages 4-5: Have them pour in the water and mix everything until it resembles a thick paste. They’ll also love squishing the playdough in the Ziploc bags to distribute the color and glitter.
• Ages 6-8: Have them measure out all of the ingredients. Teach them low to correctly measure flour (spoon flour into the measuring cup and level off with a butter knife). 
• Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe. 
• Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!

Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.

The flavor and Recipe Variations:

•  Add some glitter to the Ziploc bag for a fun mix-in.
• Add your favorite scent to the playdough. Essential oils work well, too.

More easy recipes for the kids to help with:

• Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies
• Chocolate Glazed Biscuit Donuts
• Death by Chocolate Poke Cake
• Easy English Muffin Pizzas
• Easy Garlic Bread
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Bon Bons
• Chocolate Wacky Cake
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Italian Zucchini Boats
• One Pan Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Rice
• Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
• Zucchini Taco Boats

How long is this good for:

• Store: Keep it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Kept this way, it will keep for about 2-3 months. We’ve even had good lucking keeping it in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life. 
• Freeze: Playdough doesn’t freeze well, so we do not recommend freezing it. 

How much will this cost:

RECIPE COST: $2.47

To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour – $0.38
• ¾ cup table salt – $0.36
• 1 ½ Tablespoon cream of tarter – $1.66
• 2 cups warm water $0.00
• 2 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil – $0.07

Cook’s Tools:

• large heavy-bottomed pot
• measuring cups
• whisk
• measuring spoons
• wooden spoon
• mixing bowl
• Quart-sized Ziploc bags

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5 from 3 votes

Homemade Playdough

Recipe Cost $2.47

This How to Make Homemade Playdough tutorial is so easy that the kids can make it all on their own! This recipe makes 2 pounds of playdough and costs just $2.47 to make!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Craft

Cuisine: American

Keyword: playdough

Servings: 2 pounds

Equipment

• large heavy-bottomed pot
• measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• whisk
• Wooden spoon
• mixing bowl
• Quart-sized Ziploc bags

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup table salt
• 1 ½ Tablespoon cream of tartar
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
• Gel food coloring optional
• Glitter optional

Instructions

• In a large heavy-bottomed pot whisk together flour, salt, and cream of tarter.
• Pour water and vegetable oil over the flour mixture. Stir until the mixture turns into a thick paste. Make sure you get into the edges of the pot to get any hidden pockets of flour.
• If you’re turning the play dough all one color, then add in the food coloring now.
• Place the pot on a burner and set to medium heat.
• Stir the mixture constantly until it has thickened and starts to form together. Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the play dough to a piece of plastic wrap.
• Cool the mixture until it’s comfortable to handle (especially for the kids). Then knead it until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Determine how many different colors you’re going to turn the play dough. Distribute the play dough to as many quart-sized bags as the number of colors you have.
• Place 4-5 drops of food coloring into the center of a dough ball. Place the dough ball inside of a quart-sized Ziploc-bag and knead until the color is distributed evenly.
• Knead in glitter (if using).
• Now you’re ready to play with the playdough! Keep the dough balls stored in air-tight containers or Zip-loc bags. If properly stored, the playdough will keep for 2-3 months.

Video

Notes

• Don’t be tempted to increase the stovetop temperature while cooking the play dough. This can cause it to burn or discolor.
• Recipe adapted from food.com. 

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This How to Make Homemade Playdough tutorial is so easy that the kids can make it all on their own! This recipe makes 2 pounds of playdough and costs just $2.47 to make!