How to Make Play Dough: a Quick Easy Play Dough Recipe

Have you made play dough at home?  If you’re looking for a quick easy play dough recipe, you’re in the right place!  

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At our house, we use both homemade and store-bought play dough.  Both are fantastic options!  And when I make homemade play dough, sometimes I throw the recipe together by myself while my older daughter, Ella, is at school.  Admittedly, that’s when it’s REALLY quick and easy.  But as you can see from our pictures, on this particular day, I decided to involve her in the creation process.  Allowing her to help me has so many benefits!

• Sense of ownership
• Practical life skill practice – scooping, pouring, measuring
• Promotes teamwork, cooperation, and sharing skills
• It’s an activity in itself!  If you’re making play dough, you’re probably looking for ways to entertain your child.  Making play dough IS a fun activity!

Whether you choose to have your child help you make this play dough or not, you’re going to love how it turns out!

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups flour
• ½ cup salt
• 2 tbsp cream of tartar 
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup boiling water
• food coloring
• optional: a few drops of essential oil (to make scented play dough)

Note: When buying cream of tartar, you can grab a small container like this one for less than $4.  However, if you plan to make more than one or two batches of play dough (think long term), a bag like this is MUCH more cost efficient!

How to Make Homemade (Taste Safe) Play Dough

1. Boil your water.  You’ll need it soon!

2. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and cream of tartar.

3. Add the vegetable oil, and if you’re using any, 2-3 drops of essential oil.

4. Add a few drops of food coloring to the boiling water, then pour the water into the dry ingredients.

5. Mix everything very well – first with a spoon, because the play dough will be HOT!

6. When dough begins to form and it has cooled down, continue to knead the dough with your hands.

Once your play dough has fully cooled, it is ready to play with and enjoy!

Tips, Notes, & Safety Warnings for Making Play Dough

• The original recipe I used came from mothercould.com (she’s amazing, by the way!) and called for only 1 cup of flour.  However, I found that our play dough came out quite sticky!  Using 1.5 cups of flour helps make less sticky play dough.
• Play dough can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for approximately 6 months.  For best results, wait for play dough to cool completely before storing.
• This recipe is taste safe.  Using boiling water kills off bacteria found in uncooked flour.  That being said, this play dough is not meant to be eaten – and it won’t taste good, either!  Also, adding essential oil may make your play dough NOT taste safe.
• Use caution (and common sense) when handling boiling water!  Most steps in this recipe are perfect for children to help with, but pouring the boiling water into dry ingredients is best suited for adult hands.

Ready to up your play dough play?  Check out some of these fun accessories!

• 45-piece play dough tool kit with numbers and letters
• Basic play dough tool kit
• Fun play dough shape stampers

Don’t want to make your own play dough?  

That’s okay too!  Click here to grab a play dough 10-pack so you can have some play dough-based fun of your own!

Looking for more DIY sensory fun?

Make sure to check out The Best Easy Slime Recipe for Kids!

Will you try this quick, easy play dough recipe?  I want to hear about it!  Comment below or message me on Instagram and tell me how your play dough turned out!