photo by nenonumama

Playdough is an incredibly easy thing to make and you can have hours of fun with your toddler with a cheap and non-toxic substance.

What you need

1 cup of plain flour
1 cup of water
1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil (sunflower oil is good, or corn oil, it does not need to be your extra virgin olive oil!)
1/2 a teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/2 cup of salt

What to do

Measure the flour, salt, cream of tartar and place in a bowl.
Stir the dry ingredients with a whisk to ensure there are no lumps.
Place the oil and some food colouring (you can use liquid or gel food colouring, which ever is available to you) in a jug and stir together as best you can
Add 1/2 a cup of boiling water
Pour your hot liquid mixture over the dry ingredients.
Stir with a fork.
The boiling water cooks the playdough, the sloppy mixture will change texture to a dough like one.
Knead the hot dough for one to two minutes.

That’s it! Ready to play! You don’t need any special equipment, most kitchens have just what you might need, pastry cutters, rolling pins, small cake tins e.t.c. for the world of make believe baking. Store the play dough in airtight containers in the fridge when not in use.

To add some interest to the playdough, you can add glitter, or a drop of an essential oil:

Chamomile

For a warm, sweet, herbaceous, relaxing scent.

Clove

For a sweet, spicy fragrance.

Eucalyptus

For a fresh, invigorating aroma.

Fennel

For a sweet, earthy, anise-like aroma.

Ginger

For a warm, spicy fragrance that is energising.

Lemon

For a clean, citrus scent.

Orange

For a rich, citrus scent.

Peppermint

For a clean strong, clean, fresh, minty aroma.

Always supervise children using play dough, especially one containing essential oils or gllitter. It should not be ingested.