Easy Homemade Playdough
Looking for a fun activity for kids? Non-toxic, easy homemade playdough is a 15-minute DIY. Perfect for an afternoon activity or a thoughtful children's gift.
Print Recipe
Servings: 6 4 oz. jars
Equipment
- 1 medium-sized saucepan
- 1 mixing spoon
- 6- 4oz. Mason jars with lids or 3- 8oz. Mason jars
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar or 3 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/3 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon liquid cooking oil I used avocado oil
- All natural food coloring to desired color
- Essential oils optional
Instructions
Cook playdough
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add the flour, water, salt, cream of tartar, and liquid cooking oil.
- Turn the stove to medium-low heat.
- Mix until the dough just starts to come together.
Add coloring
- Next, add your non-toxic food coloring to your desired color of homemade playdough.
Color vibrancy and making red playdough:
- If you want a more vibrant color that takes more than one bottle of food coloring; or if you are trying to make red and not pink, you will have to use an entire bottle of food coloring if not more. Add in an extra tablespoon of flour if using this amount of liquid food coloring.
Note on making different colors of easy homemade playdough:
- You will want to use a clean saucepan for each additional color of homemade playdough you would like to make to avoid undesired color mixing.
Remove from heat
- Once the dough has come together and is easily removed from the side of the pan, transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper.
Add Essential Oils
- After allowing the dough to cool slightly until it is easy to handle, add essential oils.
- I used 5-10 drops of each oil and massaged them into the dough until well combined. Lavender is nice for the springtime.
Storing easy homemade playdough
- Once the homemade playdough has cooled completely, store the dough in an airtight container.
- I like to store the dough in little 4oz. or 8oz. Mason jars like these. For gifting, placing a decorative piece of fabric over the top of the lid and tying it off with a ribbon or twine is a beautiful touch.
Shelf life
- This easy homemade playdough has a shelf life of a couple of months! As long as the dough goes back into an airtight container after playing with it, our playdough has lasted anywhere from 3-4 months at a time.
