Prep 15 mins
Cooking 20 mins
Makes 445g
Soft, colourful and easy to make, this homemade playdough is a fun activity the whole family can enjoy together. Made with common pantry ingredients you likely already have, the dough comes together in about five minutes and creates a smooth, pliable texture that lasts a long time without staining little hands.
Perfect for creative play, rainy days or kids’ activities, it encourages imagination and sensory exploration as children experiment with colour, texture and shapes. It’s also a budget-friendly alternative to store-bought options while still delivering hours of hands-on fun.
Store in an airtight container to keep it fresh for repeated play.
Please note, although made from food products, we do not recommend eating these creations, particularly when markers and other decorations are added.
In a medium saucepan place the flour, cream of tartar and salt, and whisk together to remove any lumps.
Then stir in the water and oil, and food colouring if you only want the playdough to be all one colour.
Place over medium heat and stir constantly for a few minutes, until the dough thickens and begins to form a ball.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool down for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the dough over so the underside can cool down as well.
Once cool or just lukewarm, briefly knead the playdough until it is smooth.
If you want to create multiple colours from one playdough batch, divide the dough into 5 or 6 balls and mix the colours in to each ball of dough by gently kneading the colour in until it is completely incorporated. Depending on what type of food colouring you are using it may be messy, so using gloves and protecting your work surface with cling wrap or similar could be helpful. Gel food colouring will be less messy than liquid food colouring.
Makes 445g playdough, however this recipe is easily doubled. Will keep in wrapped in cling wrap and placed into sealed zip lock bags for a couple of months. Play doh is not intended for human consumption.
