When Smalls first started at kindergarten, she was still in full playdough phase. Truth be told she still is, but it was at peak excitement at the start of the year.
I’d often walk her over to the playdough area on dropoff and she would happily sit and squish, waving me off with a distracted hand.
One day I sat down with her and portioned it evenly among the eager three-year-olds – and I was like WHAT IS THIS SWEET, SWEET CONCOCTION?
It was still warm from being made and so utterly silky soft. I asked the teacher how your stock-standard salt dough could possibly be so delicious?
She smiled and said through all her years of making playdough for the children, she’s realised that allllll that salt we normally add just dries it out. So she only adds half, it lasts just as long, and ends up being much softer while still having the same general use and makeup of regular salt dough.
And I’ve been hooked ever since.
Here’s what we do:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 cups water (coloured, if you want)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Heat all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until thick and it starts to become pliable and soft without being sticky.
Tip out onto the bench and knead/cool until the kids can’t wait any more.
Keep in an airtight container – it will keep for a couple of months but will be less cohesive over time and you’ll get a playdough-crumb-dotted floor like mine.
Playdough is so much fun and so lovely and soft when freshly made. I am surprised that the teacher said the salt dried out the playdough – I talked to a friend about the salt and she said it actually preserves the playdough and has anitbacterial properties – but it does look very soft – though your recipe has the same amount of salt as mine I think my friend said to put more!
oh yes it does have antibac properties and it probably does preserve it, though I’ve not had any issues with longevity since I started using less! It lasts the same amount of time (before it gets squished into the floor, anyway!). I used to do equal amounts of salt and flour, but not any more. Not since I touched the rolls royce of homemade playdoughs haha xx
I think we never have enough play dough – its always loved by my boys and even though it can make the biggest mess… it is still a weekly activity, so I will have to give this recipe a go.
well there you go, I did not know that, just think of all the salt I could have saved ;)… I used to be all domestic and crap and make the shit outta playdoh and that malarky and then my kids grew up and I got so fat and so lazy and now I look forward to one day those children becoming parents so I can point and laugh when they make playdoh and their kids get that shit dried up inside their favourite cooking apparatus while they are trying to have a sneaky wee alone justoneomgfortheloveofgodjustonetime!
Hey girl, hi!
HIIIIIIIIIIII!!! I can’t wait until I can sit on the couch. For days. I think it might be the fantasy I go to sleep with every night haha. Not having to get up for a single soul… sign me up
Hey Stacey – long time no blog (on my behalf) just getting my you know what together to start again – anyways I wanted to tell you about the amazing play dough my kids teacher makes. Flavoured play dough. Yup. Chocolate, mint, lavender even coffee – she just mixes it in and it smells heavenly. The kids can’t get enough of it.
Hey this was helpful. Finally I have learned how to prepare playdough for my children. Thank you! What do you think about adding some food color?