Have Thing 1 and Thing 2 invaded your house, drawn mustaches on all your family portraits and released the goldfish into the commode? Oh no, that was your KIDS? It sounds to me like they could use a little distraction on this rainy/excessively sunny/busy/whatever day before they try to decoupage your drivers license. No fear, mama, I have the answer!
Homemade play dough is cheap, easy to make and oh-so-fun! Help your kids whip up a batch and then sneak away with a cup of tea. You may find them so preoccupied that you get to go to the bathroom by yourself!
How To Make Natural Dyes With Stuff From Your Fridge
There is A LOT of wiggle room for this part, so have fun and experiment! To get started making your own play dough dye, just put veggies/fruits in a pot of filtered water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 minutes to kill any bacteria that might cause mold and then simmer for 10-30 minutes depending on how intense you want the color to be. For spices, just warm the water up and mix until dissolved. Here are some color ideas I grabbed from my post on naturally dyed Easter eggs.
Pink
I used: 2 cups water +1 cup shredded beets for the intense pink
3 cups water, 1 cup tightly packed purple cabbage simmered for 20 minutes for the light pink
Yellow/Orange
I used: 1 cup water + 3/4 tsp turmeric for the bright yellow
How To Make Homemade Play Dough
Basic Play Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup of naturally colored water (see above) OR 1 cup water and natural food coloring
- Optional: a few drops of essential oil for fragrance.Lavender essential oil is a good choice that is safe for children.
Instructions:
- Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a medium-sized pot
- Add oil and colored water and stir until ingredients are well blended.
- Place pot on the stove over low/medium heat. Cook the dough – stirring often – until begins to pull away from the sides of the pot (about 3-5 minutes)
- Allow the dough to cool a little and then knead for a minute or so.
- Store in an airtight container
Gluten-Free Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/2 cup non-GMO cornstarch or arrowroot powder (where to find non-GMO cornstarch, where to find arrowroot)
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup of naturally colored water (see above) OR 1 cup water and natural food coloring
- Optional: a few drops of essential oil for fragrance. Lavender essential oil is a good choice that is safe for children.
Instructions:
- Mix flour, cornstarch/arrowroot, salt and cream of tartar in a medium-sized pot
- Add oil and colored water and stir until ingredients are well blended.
- Place pot on the stove over low/medium heat. Cook the dough – stirring often – until begins to pull away from the sides of the pot (about 3-5 minutes)
- Allow the dough to cool a little and then knead for a minute or so.
- Store in an airtight container