by: Jenny of Hank + Hunt

I’ve always wanted to try making my own playdough. Playdough is good for sensory development, and is just plain fun.  Make your own in some bright colors, and your kids will never know the difference!

I tried a few recipes, and here is the winner:

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1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
2 tbsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
gel food coloring

Mix all of your dry ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Add your wet ingredients, including a good amount of gel food coloring and mix well. It will remain roughly the same color, so add more in this stage, if needed.

Place your pan on the stove top over medium heat. Stir continuously until it starts to get chunky.  Trust me — the first time you see this, you will think you have done something wrong, don’t worry. Keep stirring until it forms a big dough ball.You will know when to take it out, then place on a plate to cool. Once cool, knead it a bit yourself or get little helpers to do it for you. The whole process takes about 5 mins. I did all of these colors in about a half an hour. You can really whip out a multicolored set in no time.

Helpful Hints: I used Americolor Food Coloring to dye the dough. I have included the names of the colors above. It worked great and did not come off on our hands — bonus! You can also use Kool-Aid in place of food coloring. It scents the dough, but the colors weren’t very vibrant. Be sure to buy plenty of cream of tartar. I got about 3-4 batches out of one large bottle.

My boys have been playing with the playdough nonstop.  They love using cookie cutters with it. We got a mega set from Bed Bath and Beyond with cool shapes, and the letters are amazing. Perfect for the last few rainy days.  Half of our batch is already a shade of “mixed” colors and the other half is on its way.  Luckily it is so easy, we can make more in no time.