DIY: Homemade Playdough Recipes

As a child, one of my favorite things to play with was always playdough! However as many of us surely remember, we'd nibble on the salty playdough even though our parents told us not to, and leave the playdough out to dry up and be no longer useable. I know I must have made my mom buy quite a lot of playdough to replace the no longer useable dry-hard playdough. A nice way to save a bit of money would be to make your own homemade playdough. Also this can be fun to create along with your child. Here are three simple and easy to follow homemade playdough recipes!

Uncooked Homemade Playdough

*1 cup of flour
*½ cup of salt
*½ cup of warm water
*Food coloring

Measure the flour and salt into a baking pan, divide the water in several bowls and tint each with food coloring. Using eyedroppers or teaspoons/tablespoons, add the colored water into sections of the dry mixture. Stir the mixture with your hands, adding a bit of flour or water as needed, to make a soft dough to play with. This uncooked homemade playdough will only be good up to a week if you store it in an airtight container.

Cooked Homemade Playdough

* 3 cups flour
* 1 ½ cups salt
* 6 tsp. cream of tartar
* 3 cups cool water
* 3 Tbsp oil
* Food coloring

Mix dry ingredients in a big cooking pot. Blend liquids together in a bowl. Combine with dry ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when dough pulls away from the sides of the pot and can be pinched without sticking (about 5 min.) Turn onto board or counter and knead until smooth play dough consistency. Store in an airtight container. This homemade playdough will be useable for several months.

Edible Homemade Peanut-Butter Playdough

* 18 oz. peanut butter
* 6 tbsp honey
* Non-fat dry milk
* Cocoa for flavor

Mix peanut butter and honey in a mixing bowl. Add dry milk to make the dough thicker and dry enough to play with, add more dry milk if needed. Mix in Cocoa for flavor if desired. This homemade playdough recipe is great because the child can play and also nibble on the dough. Just make sure your child wash her/his hands before playing with the playdough or else germs could get consumed if the child chooses to eat some as well. Playdough will stay good up to one week if sealed in an airtight container.

Tip: If you are going to prepare any of the homemade playdough with your child, make sure to wear old clothes, or apron, along with your child. Also clear the table, protect the surface with old newspapers, and perhaps use a baking pan for your child to mash up the homemade playdough on.