How to Make Playdough

Guide Note

Playdough is a fun, educational toy. By learning how to make playdough yourself, you'll be able to have plenty on hand for any occasion. And, if you make your playdough together with your children, you're also introducing them to the scientific principles of math and measuring. It's a fun activity that only requires a few inexpensive pantry items and a few minutes of your time.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Step 1: Gather Your Materials
• Step 2: Mix and Heat
• Step 3: Knead and Mix in Your Colors
• Step 4: Play and Store
• Conclusion

How to Make Playdough Tips

1. This is a fun project to do with children, both in the home and in daycare or school settings.
2. Be sure to assemble your materials ahead of time.
3. For added educational value, have the children measure out ingredients.
4. Expect the children's hands to get some of the drink mix or food coloring on them.
5. Playdough is non-toxic and technically edible, but it will taste terrible. Advise children not to eat it.

• by Colleen V.

Introduction

(Creative Commons photo by Don LaVange)

• Playdough is a great toy for young children. It provides sensory stimulation, allows them to manipulate it into almost any three-dimensional shape they can imagine and allows them to use their creativity. You can make the experience even more educational by making playdough together with them.¹ All it takes is a few common pantry items and a few minutes of your time. Hours of fun and learning will result.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

• This is an easy project, and you can make it even easier by assembling your materials before you start. You'll need some simple pantry items, as well as some common kitchen implements.

1. Medium-sized saucepan
2. Measuring cups and spoons
3. A large spoon for mixing
4. 2 cups of flour
5. 2 cups of warm water
6. 1 cup of iodized (table) salt
7. 2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil
8. Packets of unsweetened drink mix (or Kool-Aid)

• For different colors of playdough, gather a few different flavors of drink mix. If you'd rather not use drink mix, food coloring will work just as well.²

• If you'd like to make more playdough, simply double or triple the ingredients accordingly.

Step 2: Mix and Heat

(Creative Commons photo by Curtis Palmer)

• Heat makes the ingredients in this playdough combine easily and also keeps the dough from getting too watery. ³

1. Set the saucepan over low heat.
2. Add all of the ingredients except for the food coloring or drink mix.
3. Stir constantly, waiting for the dough to thicken.
4. Once the dough starts forming a ball and pulling away from the sides of the pan, remove it from the heat.
5. Let the mixture cool until it is cool enough to handle safely.

Step 3: Knead and Mix in Your Colors

• This is the step that makes your playdough look like playdough as opposed to just a salty flour mixture.

1. Remove the cooled dough from the saucepan and knead it. This will ensure that the dough is uniform throughout, and will help make it more elastic.³
2. If you want to add different colors, divide the dough up into the desired number of lumps of playdough.
3. Add food coloring or drink mix, a little at a time, until you reach the desired color. Kneading it in will give it even color distribution.¹

Step 4: Play and Store

(Creative Commons photo by Tim Pierce)

• The best thing about playdough is that no instructions are required. Kids can play with it any way they want. One safety note: even though everything that went into the playdough is technically edible, it will taste horrible.⁴ It would be a good idea to advise the children not to try it.

• When the kids are done playing, the best way to store the playdough is to wrap it in plastic wrap or a sandwich or freezer bag.³ You want to remove as much air as possible to keep the playdough from drying out. It's also a good idea to store your wrapped playdough in the refrigerator to prevent the growth of mold.⁴

• If you store it properly, your playdough should last for several uses. If it dries out a bit, you can add a little water to make it pliable again. If it gets very dry, it's best to toss it out and make a fresh batch.³

Conclusion

• Playdough is a great toy for encouraging children's creativity and problem-solving skills. Making it with them is not only fun, but also educational!⁵

Resources for How to Make Playdough

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} About.com: Kool-Aid Playdough  
2. ↑ iVillage.com: How to Make Homemade Playdough
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Instructables: How to Make Playdough
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} wikiHow: How to Make Play-Dough
5. ↑ About.com: Video: How to Make Playdough