Make your own playdough

Playdough is an all-time favourite sensory activity for kids (and we reckon it's also rather relaxing for adults). If you want to make your own playdough at home - this is an easy-peasy recipe to work with. We've even included some scented options for extra sensory bliss. Enjoy!

Basic homemade playdough recipe:

You'll need:

• 2 cups plain flour (all-purpose)
• 1/4 cup cocoa (if making chocolate playdough)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tbsp cream of tartar
• 1 1/3 cups boiling water
• few drops of your choice of food colour (or natural food dye)
• few drops of your choice of flavoured essence (or natural scent ingredients, see below)

To make:

• Mix the flour, salt and cream of tartar (and cocoa, if you’re making chocolate playdough) into a mixing bowl.
• Add your chosen essence and food colour, as well as the boiling water and vegetable oil, to the dry ingredients.
• Stir continuously until the mixture becomes sticky. If you are making chocolate playdough, you may need a little more water in the mix.
• Allow it to cool down, take it out of the bowl and knead vigorously for a couple of minutes, until all the stickiness has gone and the dough becomes smooth.

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Make your playdough scented:

Tick another sensory box and add some scents to your playdough. 

Gingerbread:

Add ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

Chocolate:

Add cocoa.

Coffee scented:

Add instant coffee granules dissolved in hot water.

Vanilla:

Add natural vanilla extract.

Rose:

Add rosewater.

Peppermint:

Add natural peppermint extract, or mint-infused water using peppermint tea.

Lemon:

Add finely grated zest and the juice of a lemon.

Orange:

Add finely grated zest and the juice of an orange.

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Homemade playdough recipe was written for Lunch Lady Magazine Issue 12. Find more good stuff on our Instagram and Facebook pages!