Playdough Recipes

Basic Playdough

• 3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups salt
• 6 tbsp cream of tartar
• 3 tbsp oil
• 3 cups water
• food coloring

Combine flour, cream of tartar, and salt together in a saucepan. Combine water, vegetable oil, and food coloring together in a small bowl. Slowly stir liquid into flour mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat for three minutes, until mixture pulls away from side of pan. When mixture is cool enough, you can mix it more with your hands.

Microwave Playdough

Combine the following ingredients in a 1.5 quart casserole dish:
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• food coloring
After stirring well, place in microwave and cook on high for 60 seconds. Stir and cook again for 30 seconds. Stir and continue cooking, stirring and checking the mixture every 15 seconds. The playdough is done when it pulls away from the sides of the casserole dish and is no longer soupy. Shape into a ball and place to cool. When the playdough has cooled enough to handle, knead until smooth.

Oatmeal Playdough

• 1 part flour
• 1 part water
• 2 parts oatmeal
Mix all ingredients well until mixture is smooth. Knead and play.

Kool Aid Playdough

• One-half cup salt
• Two cups water
• Two tbsp oil
• Two cups flour
• Two tbsp alum
• Kool-aid packets (regular) for color

Dissolve salt into boiling water. Stir in Kool-aid packet for color, slowly add cooking oil, flour, and alum into mixture. Knead until playdough is smooth.

Soapy Playdough

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tbsp liquid tempera paint
• 1 tbsp liquid soap
• 1/2 cup water

Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl, then mix all liquid ingredients into the other bowl. Stir the two mixtures together and knead until smooth.

Strawberry Cake Playdough

• 1 pkg. strawberry cake mix
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups salt
• 6 tbsp oil
• 3 cups water

Mix ingredients. Cook over medium heat until ball forms, remove from heat and knead until smooth.

Lemon Poppy Seed Playdough

• 1 pkg. lemon poppy seed muffin mix
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups salt
• 6 tbsp oil
• 6 tsp cream of tartar
• 3 cups water

Mix ingredients. Cook over medium heat until ball forms, remove from heat and knead until smooth.

Chocolate Playdough

• 3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups salt
• 6 tbsp cream of tartar
• 3 tbsp oil
• 3 cups water
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients over medium-high heat stirring continuously until it forms a ball, and none stick to the side of the pan. Put on wax paper to cool enough for you to knead.

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

• 3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups salt
• 6 tbsp cream of tartar
• 3 tbsp oil
• 3 cups water
• 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• red and yellow food coloring
Mix all ingredients over medium-high heat stirring continuously until it forms a ball, and none stick to the side of the pan. Put on wax paper to cool enough for you to knead.

Salt Playdough

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup flour
Mix ingredients and cook over medium heat. Remove from heat when mixture looks thick and rubbery. As the mixture cools, slowly roll in flour.

Coffee Playdough

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups salt
• 6 tbsp oil
• 6 tsp cream of tartar
• 3 cups water
• wet grounds from morning coffee
Mix ingredients. Cover over medium heat until a ball forms. Remove from heat and knead.

Java Dough (for those that don’t want to drink the coffee to make the grounds!)

• 1/4 cup instant coffee
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt

Mix water and instant coffee together until coffee is dissolved. Combine flour and salt in separate bowl. Add 3/4 cup of water/coffee until a smooth dough is made. This dough can be cooked to harden sculptures in the oven @ 300 degrees for 30 -45 minutes.

Peanut Butter Playdough (*Allergy Alert!)

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• plastic zip bag

Mix ingredients into zip bag. Close bag and knead until the mixture turns into dough. Must use and not store peanut butter playdough. You may not have to worry about this since most will probably eat it.

Saw Dust Playdough

• 1 cup fine saw dust
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tbsp liquid starch
• 1 cup water
Mix ingredients together in bowl until dough is stiff. Extra water can be added if dough is to dry. This dough can be sculpted and allowed to dry for 2 -3 days.

Plastic Playdough

• 4-6 drops food coloring
• 1/4 cup white glue
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Mix glue, water and food coloring together in a small bowl. Combine flour and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Add the flour/cornstarch mixture to the water/glue mixture. Mix until a stiff dough is formed. Remove dough and knead on a floured surface for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to mold plastic dough on a surface covered with wax paper. These can be molded and dried. They try to a plastic like material.

Applesauce Cinnamon Playdough

• 1/2 cup cinnamon
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 plastic zip bag

Pour cinnamon and applesauce into zip bag. Seal bag and knead until mixture turns to dough. Allow creations to dry 12 hours or until hard.

Sand Playdough

• 1 cup sand
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water

Mix ingredients in saucepan and cook until thick. Allow to cool, knead and allow to harden enough for use.

Snow Playdough

• 1 cup Ivory Snow laundry detergent
• 2 cups warm water
• food coloring

Use an electric hand mixer or egg beater. Add food coloring to warm water, then add to laundry detergent. Mix well with beater until fluffy. Use just like regular playdough. Do not allow children to eat.

Cornstarch Playdough

• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Mix salt and hot water and boil in pot. Stir cold water and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to boiling water and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring until “pie dough consistency”. Remove from heat and place dough on board. When cool, knead dough until smooth.

Gingerbread Playdough

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. veg. oil
• lots of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg
• red and green food coloring to make brown

Mix the dry ingredients. Play with the spices till you get the scent you want. Mix water and oil together first and add them to the dry ingredients and stir. In a pan, cook the mixture for two to three minutes, stirring frequently. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and clump together. Take the dough out of the pan and knead the dough until it becomes soft and smooth. Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.

If you have another great recipe to share, email me!