Playdough Recipes
Cooked, Uncooked &
Wheat Free
Looking for playdough for your children? Instead of buying it, why not make your own? Making your own playdough is a lot of fun and it's easy to involve children in the process.
Home made playdough has no harmful ingredients (it contains food colouring if your child has an allergy) and is easy to make. I have provided easy to follow recipes for both cooked and uncooked playdough and have also included a recipe for wheat free playdough for children who have allergies to wheat and/or gluten. Whilst eating a little will not harm your child, I recommend that you discourage them from doing so.
Making playdough will also assist your children to develop their social skills, as they discuss what they are making and show others their creations (they are using their imagination as they create their masterpieces). They can experiment with different shapes and sizes when they use cutters and rolling pins and they learn muscle control as they roll and squeeze their creations into shape. It can also be good for hand and eye co-ordination but most of all it is enjoyable and gives children a sense of self-satisfaction when they have created something unique to them.
Looking for something to create with your playdough? Well be sure to check out Creative Playdough Ideas for Kids. You'll find a variety of creations with full colour photos.
Playdough projects include how to make your own :-
- cat
- turtle
- lion
- snail
Textured Playdough
Here's an innovative way of introducing your kids to different textures using playdough.
Use our cooked, uncooked or wheat free playdough recipes which are listed below and add any of the following:-
- sand
- rice
- confetti
- split peas
- lentils
- glitter
- small leaves
You can split the playdough into halves and then insert different textures into each half.
Please choose your playdough recipe from the following variations:-
- Cooked playdough
- Uncooked playdough
- Wheat free playdough - for those with allergies
Cooked Playdough
Ingredients
- 2 cups of plain flour.
- 1 cup of salt.
- 4 tablespoons oil.
- 2 cups of water.
- 4 teaspoons cream or tartar.
- Food colouring.
How to make it
Mix all ingredients together and cook in a microwave oven on a medium low power setting for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Further cooking maybe required for 1 minute on low power.
Alternatively, this can be done in a saucepan on the stove stirring continuously until it comes together well...
For both methods knead well and store as for uncooked playdough.
This method is great for the children to play with whilst it is still hot (obviously not too hot though!).
Uncooked Playdough
Ingredients
- 3 cups of water.
- 3 cups of plain flour.
- 1 ½ cups of salt.
- 3 cups of boiling water.
- 3 tablespoons cream of tartare.
- 3 tablespoons of oil (any cheap cooking oil).
- Food colouring.
How to make it
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, together with the oil and food colouring and mix well.
Add the boiling water, ensuring that all of the ingredients are mixed in well. You will need to knead the playdough well and this is an excellent opportunity to involve the children, helping you do this.
Place the mixture into a plastic bag and put it in the fridge* for an hour or so. Store it in a plastic bag in the fridge to stop it drying out and you're done!
*The Playdough can be used straight away, but for best results it is better to place it in the fridge first.
Wheat Free Playdough
Ingredients
- 225g/2 cups rice flour.
- 225g/2 cups salt (makes it unpalatable to eat).
- 15 ml/1 tbsp cream of tartar.
- 30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil.
- 250 ml/1 cup water.
- 3 tablespoons of oil (any cheap cooking oil).
- A few drops of food colouring (optional).
How to make it
- Mix the flour, salt and cream of tartar in a saucepan.
- Add the oil and gradually blend in the water and food colouring, if using.
- Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until mixture is stiff and leaves the sides of the pan clean.
- Leave until cool enough to handle, then knead gently on the work surface until smooth. Store in airtight container.
Recipe reprinted with permission, taken from Your Allergy Free Diet Plan for Babies & Children by Carol Humphries, Foulsham & Co., 2003.