Get hours of fun, from these homemade playdough recipes. Who says commercially made Play Dough is better? The kinds of playdough which can be created is merely limited by ones imagination. I have only ever had one concern about making playdough… what if I mix in the cream of tartar along with the alum?

Childcare San Antonio wants you to get your note pad ready to jot down some of these COOL recipes for the kids

Basic Playdough

3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups salt
6 tbsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp oil
3 cups water
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. Remember to store in an air tight container.

Smelly Colorful 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.

Oatmeal Playdough

1 part flour
1 part water
2 parts oatmeal
Mix all ingredients well until mixture is smooth, knead and play

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.

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.

Plastic Playdough (The Ultimate book of Kids Concoctions)

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.

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.

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.

Childcare San Antonio knows that MORE playdough recipes, the better!

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.

Peanut Butter Playdough

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.

Snow Playdough (for those years when we actually get snow)

1 cup Ivory Snow laundry detergent
2 cups warm water
food coloring
You’ll need 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.

Java Dough for those that don’t like straight Coffee

1/4 cup instant coffee flavored
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.

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. Have fun playing!

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.

Applesauce Cinnamon Playdough(The Ultimate book of Kids Concoctions)

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.

Playdough is a great sensory experience for children at home and during preschool. It also helps develop small motor skills, is very open-ended play, fosters imagination and can be used to ease frustrations in children with the kneading, pulling, pounding, squeezing and poking. So if you are needing a calming activity it is time to make the playdough.

Childcare San Antonio at Appletree Day School wants learning to be effective and fun.

So not only is preschool in San Antonio educational, but fun as well.  Give is a call at 210.509.1919 or just come on in for a quick tour to see if Appletree Day School is a good fit for you and your kids.