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There are various ways to make play dough with your children based on the age level and possible allergies of your child. Here are some fun recipes to try at home with your children. Some are tried and true while others are rather unique. Remember to have fun; and for the child it is the process more than the finished product. Feel free to drop us a line and let us know which recipes you would recommend!
Childreach Favourite: Kool-Aid Play Dough
½ cup salt
2 ½ cups flour
2 packages kool-aid
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups boiling water
Directions: Mix dry ingredients. Add oil to water. Add liquid to dry ingredients. Stir and let cool then knead. Store in plastic bags in the refrigerator to keep fresh longer.
Hint: if the playdough is too sticky, add a little flour; if the playdough is dry add a little oil in your hands and knead.
Home Made Playdough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 cups of water
1 tablespoons mineral oil
food coloring
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring until stiff.
Allow to cool, and then knead.
Peanut Butter Playdough
3 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 cups powdered milk
3 1/2 cups corn syrup
Mix ingredients by hand.
Can decorate with sprinkles, M&Ms etc.
It is edible.
Salt Playdough
1 cup water
1 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
Food coloring
Mix ingredients in pan.
Add food coloring. Stir on low heat.
When it thickens remove from heat.
Put some on waxed paper or floured surface and roll out.
Cut out objects.
Air dry objects few days.
Store un-used portion in air-tight container.
It is non-edible.
Oatmeal Playdough
2 cups smooth peanut butter
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups powdered milk
2/3 cups honey
Optional -Rice Krispies, Coconut Sprinkles, chocolate chips, Red Hots, etc.
Mix ingredients until combined.
Wash hands.
Lay down wax paper.
Store in air-tight container.
Numnum Playdough
2 cups of honey
3 cups of peanut butter
3 packets powdered milk
Stir all ingredients together until smooth.
Add more powdered milk if desired.
Is sticky and edible.
Cloud Playdough
1 cup water,
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil,
6 cup flour
Add a few drops of food coloring to water.
Combine water, oil and flour in a large bowl. Knead well.
Add more water if necessary in small amounts until the dough is soft and stretchy.
Cloud playdough should be used on a washable surface as it is very greasy.
Coffee Playdough
4 cups unsifted all purpose flour,
1 cup salt,
1/4 cup instant coffee
1 1/2 c warm water
Dissolve the coffee in the warm water.
In another bowl, mix the flour and the salt.
Make a well and add 1 cup of the coffee water into it.
Mix with a fork or with your hands until smoother.
Add more coffee water as needed: dough should be smooth not sticky or crumbling.
Store in air tight container.
When you’re done making figures, bake in oven for 1 hour at 300 degrees or until hard.
A coat or two of shellac keeps it well preserved for longer lasting gifts.
Fruit Playdough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tablespoons cream of tarter
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
3 oz package sugar-free fruit flavored gelatin
Mix dry ingredients in pan.
Add the water and oil.
Stir over medium heat until mixture forms a ball.
Pour onto a sheet of wax paper
Koolaid Playdough
2 cups rice flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 cup salt
3 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 packages unsweetened Koolaid (pick the color you like)
2 cups boiling water
Mix all together. Once cool take out of pan and knead well. Then place in Ziploc bag in the refrigerator.
Cornmeal Playdough – Gluten Free
1 ½ cups corn flour
1 cup corn meal
1 cup salt
½ cup corn starch
1 cup hot water plus 2 Tablespoons
1 tablespoon oil
Mix all ingredients until smooth. Add water as necessary to make more soft and smooth. Store in Ziploc bag for up to a month. This is textured dough and will be yellow.
Written by Dawn Baetens, Early Years Program Leader
I love arts and crafts. Each day I try to fit in something creative whether it be a little knitting, sewing, quilting, embroidery, painting, drawing, building, making, cutting, or gluing. Creating makes me feel good. It also feels good to share my ‘skills’ and my arts and crafts. I’m also always on the lookout for inspiration.
Here are some cool crafts for kids that I’ve found this week!
- Chalkboards & Outdoor Art Fun over at Angry Chicken
- Craft Camp - 30 days, 30 Bloggers, 30 Crafts at Skip to my Lou
- Make Your Own Modern Dollhouse at Four Bad Apples
- This is awesome – a Tree Activity Book download at Matzo Ball Soup
Where do you find inspiration for your arts and crafts?
Nadine Reeves
Administrative Assistant
Check the shelves of your local thrift shop, grocery store, or novelty store for clever alternatives to traditional art materials. Some ideas to consider include:
Kitchen Gadgets
Bottle brushes, cookies cutters, dish scrubbers, potato mashers, rubber spatulas and wire whisks
Toiletries
Brushes, combs, cotton balls, cotton swabs, make-up sponges and roll-on deodorant bottles
Toys
Balls, interlocking blocks, marbles, rubber toys and toy cars
½ cup Plaster of Paris
¼ cup water (for coloured chalk, add food colouring to water)
· In a small container (margarine tub) put Plaster of Paris.
· Add water – DO NOT MIX YET!
· With masking tape, cover up one end of a toilet paper roll.
· Stir mixture into a soupy consistency.
· With a spatula, put half of the mixture into the toilet roll.
· Tap down the toilet roll to release air bubbles.
· Pour the rest of the mixture into the toilet roll.
· Tap down again to release the rest of the bubbles.
· Let stand for 24 hours.
· Tear off the toilet roll and enjoy!
Believe it or not, the holiday season is just around the corner! Here are some ideas for your preschooler to make their own wrapping paper for future gift giving. Use non-toxic tempera paints. Suggested papers include large sheets of flip-chart paper, computer paper, rolls of plain brown or white paper.
Vegetable Prints
Cut some fruit and vegetables in half (potatoes, green peppers, apples, carrots) and have your child dip them into paint. Press the fruit/vegetable on a piece of paper to make designs.
Marble Painting
Put a marble into a yogurt container filled with some paint. Cut a piece of paper to fit the bottom of a shoe box. Place the marble into the shoe box and move it all around to make designs. This is a good activity for children who don’t like to get their hands dirty.
Hand Prints
Paint your child’s hands, and they can press them onto a sheet of paper. Have all family members do hand prints and compare sizes! Great idea for grandparents’ gifts – if you want to get really creative, add your foot prints too! (Keep a towel and a pail of water handy.)
Coloured Tissue Paper
Place two sheets of white tissue paper together. Fold many times until it is about 2” x 4”. Dip corners into dishes of water that has been coloured with food colouring. Carefully open, and allow the paper to dry on newspaper.
Sponge Painting
Cut an old sponge, and attach a spring clothespin. Dip sponge into paint and dab onto paper.
For those days that the weather makes it impossible to play outdoors:
· Use white chalk and dark construction paper to make snow drawings.
· Cut sponges into various winter shapes – mittens, snowmen, snowflakes, fir trees. The children can use the sponges as a tool to print on construction paper.
· Cut winter pictures from magazines. Attach the pictures with string or yarn to a branch or paper plate to make a winter mobile.
· Older children may wish to make a book about winter. They may find pictures in magazines or use their own creations. The pages may be in the shape of a snowman or evergreen tree to add interest and creativity. Some suggested titles might be:
® What I wear in winter
® What I like to do outside
® What I like to do inside
® My favourite foods in winter
® My favourite thing about winter
A Walk on the Wild Side
What a terrific time to shuffle through dry leaves and watch autumn unfold during a walk in the woods or around the block. Nature will provide collectibles that can be used in the following ways:
· Dip leaves, feathers, evergreen sprigs, etc. in paint, and then press onto paper.
· Place a leaf or two under paper, rub the top of the paper with a crayon to see the leaves appear magically.
· Press leaves between sheets of wax paper placed under a heavy book. Preserve leaves permanently by covering with clear Mac Tac. Cut around leaves, leaving 1/16 “ Mac Tac around edges. Hang these in a window to twirl and sparkle in the sunlight.
· Adopt an abandoned spider web by sprinkling gently with talcum powder and then lifting by placing a sheet of black construction paper underneath.
Kid-Art Portfolio
Help your child prepare an envelope to save art treasures. You will need Bristol board (18” x 24”), stickers, markers, stapler or masking tape. Place Bristol board with 18” at top and bottom. Fold lower edge up 7”, crease it; then tape or staple the sides to form a pocket. Fold down 6” to form a flap. Decorate as you wish, then fill with wonderful projects made at home or school.
Masks
Bases for masks can be paper plates (1/2 plates), brown paper bags, construction paper, cardboard shapes, and paper mache. Supply your child with a large variety of materials, and let them create on their own. Material ideas include wool, cotton balls, scrap material, scrap paper, crepe paper, sparkles, toilet paper rolls, wrapping paper, macaroni, rice, leaves, sticks, string, markers, pastels, stickers, etc. Remember for Halloween, the safest mask is face paint.
Cookie Decorating
Let children decorate large cookies. Supply a couple of colours of icing (possibly a cream cheese icing if you want to reduce the sugar) and granulated sugar or other decorative edibles.
