Home made playdough. Worth the effort?

[Belleende]

Hi all, have been gradually reducing the amount of plastic in our lives. My kids love play doh, but the amount of waste plastic it generates depresses me. Is the home made stuff worth the effort. Does it stain stuff?

Following with interest! We go through a lot of play dough

I used to make loads of it. It uses food colouring but I don't ever recall it staining things. I think what is good is that you get a large amount of it -
I used to make it when it was my turn on the craft rota at play group.

I make it everyday for my nursery as currently they have to have their own individual pots. So easy to make. If you want bright colours like branded play doh buy food colouring paste rather than bottles of liquid

1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup warm water with food colouring of choice added
Tbsp oil
2 sachets of cream of tarter(I've used 1 when I haven't had enough)

Cook over low heat until it comes away from the pan and then kneed.
Store in tub with lid.

I make loads of it - you can be so creative with it, adding different smells like peppermint or vanilla. I make a no-cook recipe which uses boiling water, flour, salt, oil and cream of tartar - there are lots of recipes on line, and I use wilton gel food colouring for really bright, vibrant colours. It lasts for ages in an airtight bag.

No it doesn't stain anything. Maybe your own hands when you are making it but not when they are playing with it.

Definitely endorse using the paste food colouring, and it’s a doddle to make. I used the same recipe as @coldnwindy for years.

Remember to keep in in tubs or ziplock bags to stop it going crusty. You can also add edible glitter to it if you fancy jazzing things up.

@NannyR

I make loads of it - you can be so creative with it, adding different smells like peppermint or vanilla. I make a no-cook recipe which uses boiling water, flour, salt, oil and cream of tartar - there are lots of recipes on line, and I use wilton gel food colouring for really bright, vibrant colours. It lasts for ages in an airtight bag.

Oooo I've not made the no cook one before! That sounds good.

Do be aware that someone will be along in a minute to tell you that as flour is an essential you will be being unreasonable to use it for playdough during a pandemic.

And yes, this really happened on another thread.

😂 That was in the height of the last lockdown when there were flour shortages though. This doesn't seem to be an issue right now.

I found that adding the food colouring to the water gave a more even, less marbled, effect with less effort. You'd need to make separate batches for different colours though.

I used to do it at science festivals and as a primary school workshop (mixtures, compounds, solutions, miscible/immiscible liquids etc).

I always did the no cook version, and added the food colouring to the water. Use the pastes, it's so much easier to get bright colours.

There's also a really quick and easy version you can do with cornflour and moisturiser or conditioner if your DC has sensitive skin (all the salt can be a bit drying).

I found that adding the food colouring to the water gave a more even, less marbled, effect with less effort. You'd need to make separate batches for different colours though.

I used to mix all the dry ingredients and oil then split it out into separate bowls, then mix your hot water and food colouring separately and add it a bit at a time until it was the right consistency. I did only give each child 30 ml or so, roughly the right amount per portion. You can always add a bit more hot water or dry mix if it's the wrong consistency.

Yes definitely worth it!!

I make a batch every six weeks or so, it is used daily and stored in a ton.

I colour it with normal kids paint mixed into the water. Or sometimes the food colouring paste. Paint means I can make any colour requested! It has never stained anything.

Early years teacher here. It's definitely worth making it! I highly recommend the no cook method and using a squirt of children's paint for a nice bright colour instead of food colouring. Store it in a zip lock bag and in the fridge and it will last for ages. You can add a few drops of essential oils or cooking extract for a nice fragrance.

I know it's not eco friendly anymore but a few shakes of glitter in it is also really nice.

Thanks all. I wonder what the chances are of the corner shop having cream of tartar??

I won't be adding any fragrances, my dd tends to nibble at it

I used things like vanilla essence to flavour it. Or a tablespoon of cocoa which results in chocolate playdough (smells divine, looks like poo and doesn't discourage small children from eating it!)

Cream of tartar is an odd one - I've never had any problem getting it in Waitrose and Sainsbury's but my mum couldn't get it in her Tesco's.

Yes. I always made my own as I used to work as a Paediatric therapist.

The best recipe is the the hot boiled one on the stove. You end up with a very smooth and similar product to play dough.

I'm not sure I still have a copy.

I like the imagination tree no cook recipe. You can add flavouring for smells too.

I made gallons of the stuff when my kids were smaller. You can make conductive and insulating play doughs too and make your own circuits which is great fun. Monsters and dinosaurs with LED eyes!

The cooked one is good.
But we sometimes used to make our own with food colouring, flour, water and vegetanle oil. The making it was a big part of the fun for the children.

How old were your kids when they started playing with play doh? We tried a few months ago when DD was about 15 months but she wasn’t really interested

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

I used to do it at science festivals and as a primary school workshop (mixtures, compounds, solutions, miscible/immiscible liquids etc).

I always did the no cook version, and added the food colouring to the water. Use the pastes, it's so much easier to get bright colours.

There's also a really quick and easy version you can do with cornflour and moisturiser or conditioner if your DC has sensitive skin (all the salt can be a bit drying).

Please can you share the recipe for the moisturiser/conditioner one?

Home made no cook playdough is so good. No yucky pan to wash afterwards. We used to make a playhouse bar where the kids could add colour, sparkles, glitter, pulses anything we could find really.....into the dough. It kept them quiet for ages.

This smells lovely with the conditioner.