playdough recipe please!

[peacelily]

Hi, I want to make play dough tomorrow for 18m old dd weather means the park, farm etc. are out of bounds.

Also I know this has been asked before but can mnetters give me some ides for home made arts and crafts activities for this age that she might enjoy? Or any home based activities at all really...

I also think she needs some new toys the shape sorters and stackers are all a bit boring now. She likes her teaset and dressing and undressing her bears. Any toy recommendations for us that she'll enjoy playing with and won't break the bank? (may pop into toys r us too!)

Best recipe I ever got was by googling 'play dough recipes' or it could've been 'salt dough recipes'.

I find the ones you cook a little - flour, salt, food colouring and a little oil are the best and keep for ages in the fridge too.

If you save jam jar lids and cut out pictures from magazines/comics to put in the middle of the underside, it can make rudimentary matching/turning over/stacking kind of games.

At that age my dd3 liked nothing better than leaning over kitchen sink 'washing up' anything plastic/unbreakable that I could find her. Floor got wet and so did she but kept her amused for ages!

Hi, peacelily

I use this recipe with my two dd's 2 mugs plain flour, two thirds mug of salt, 1 tablespoon of cream tartar, 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 2 mugs water and a few drops of food colouring.

Stir in a pan over a moderate heat - it will go lumpy. Remove from heat and knead on a floured board when cool enough. It will keep at least two weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

We sometimes add glitter - so that we have 'pink sparkle dough'!

You could also make 'gloop' by mixing cornflour with water - or custard powder with water - kids at toddlers love it

Tanya Ramsay has a recipe for playdough in the back of her recipe book which you don't need to heat up - never tried it though.

2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
food colouring
2 tbsp sunflower oil

Have fun...

The playdough currently in my fridge is at least 6 months old...pretty similar recipe to Mrsonthemove's too.

Cooked Playdough:

3 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
3 Tbsp oil
6tsp Cream of Tartar *
3 cups Water
Food Colouring

Mix all ingredients in large pot. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently until the mixture leaves the sides of the pot and forms a ball. Turn out onto a work surface and knead until smooth.

This playdough will keep indefinitely if stored in an airtight container.

You could also add glitter or essential oils for fragrance.

This recipe makes a large batch, you may want to halve the quantities.

Cream of Tartar is a white powder, similar to baking powder, and is usually found with the baking indregients at the supermarket. Tartare Sauce is not* a suitable substitute!

Cooked Playdough:

3 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
3 Tbsp oil
6tsp Cream of Tartar *
3 cups Water
Food Colouring

Mix all ingredients in large pot. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently until the mixture leaves the sides of the pot and forms a ball. Turn out onto a work surface and knead until smooth.

This playdough will keep indefinitely if stored in an airtight container.

You could also add glitter or essential oils for fragrance.

This recipe makes a large batch, you may want to halve the quantities.

Cream of Tartar is a white powder, similar to baking powder, and is usually found with the baking indregients at the supermarket. Tartare Sauce is not* a suitable substitute!