There is a small child in my home who likes to place everything in their mouth. I thought it was a baby stage thing for this little child of mine, but it is still ongoing. This wasn’t the case with my oldest child, so you can rule him out and guess which one it is. This little issue led me to “taste-safe” items, such as homemade non toxic play dough.
I found a great recipe in a book called The Montessori Toddler that I started using. As with most recipes I find, I tweak something a little, and this one was no exception. However, this recipe produces a very soft and pleasant texture of play dough, and even I enjoyed touching it.
After making my first batch of homemade play dough, I quickly went to Costco to buy an industrial sized bag of flour, salt, and cream of tartar to make sure that the fun never ended. It’s easy to store in a ziplock bag to keep it from drying out in the air.
If taste-safe isn’t your concern, but drying out is, then I have another option for you. I understand how annoying dried play dough can be, because I have stepped on dried play dough many nights where I was trying to escape my children’s room. Let’s just say that I’m happy I am still able to walk. I tried artist Molding Clay, which doesn’t get hard unless you bake it. This was a great solution for my oldest son who would never place nonfood items into his mouth.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of boiling water
- Several drops of food coloring (your choice of color)
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of salt
- 2 tbsp cream of tartar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions:
- Boil water and remove (safely) 1 cup of the boiling water. Place 2-4 drops of food coloring into water, depending on how saturated you want the color of the play dough to be.
- In a separate boil mix together the flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Then add in the colored boiling water and vegetable oil.
- Stir well until mixture is completely formed into a play dough texture. If the mixture is too wet or too sticky then add about 1/4 cup of flour and combine well until you achieve the desire texture. Also, if the color is too muted then add a few drops of coloring until satisfied. Use your hands to mold the play dough. Then have fun.
Remember to share this recipe with all your mom friends who are looking for a taste-safe option or a fun activity to experience with their children.
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