Easy Homemade Play Doh Recipes

play dohWe all just love play-doh, don’t we? I’ve brought together here the best recipes I’ve come across for homemade play-doh.

Noah and Joseph McVicker are the inventors of the all time favorite toy named “Play-Doh”.

In case you didn’t know, it was originally designed to clean wallpaper!

So that’s a hint of history; now let’s get straight to my favorite easy Play-Doh recipes to make at home.

1. Long Lasting Play Dough Recipe

This one can be prepared in 15 minutes or less and can be stored for months. It makes enough for 2-4 children to have a good sized lump to play with.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • food coloring

Directions:
Mix in flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium pot. You can then add in the water, oil and food coloring. Cook it over medium heat until the mixture forms a ball in the pot. Let it cool and then knead until smooth. Store it in an airtight plastic bag or container.

You can replace the food coloring with ‘Kool Aid’ instead for a great smelling variant.

play doh hands2. No Cook Play Doh Recipe

This one’s an uncooked variant for those who want to avoid the ‘cooking bit.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of plain flour
  • 4 tablespoons of ‘cream of tartar’
  • 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
  • 1 cup of salt
  • 2 cups of boiling water
  • food coloring

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl knead it well and it will come together really nicely. You can put a lot of different things in it such as glitter and sand.

To make it smell nice and last longer put a couple of drops of peppermint oil in it.

3. Play Doh Recipe Without Cream of Tartar

This recipe uses no cream of tartar, and needs no cooking either. It won’t be as smooth as other recipes. The alum helps prevent mould and makes it last longer (a week or two) but could also be left out if you’re stuck – it will still last a few days if kept in the fridge.

Ingredients:

  • 2 and a half cups of flour or more
  • half a cup of salt
  • 1 tablespoon alum (a preservative available in grocery stores)
  • food coloring

Directions:
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Stir all together in a glass measuring cup the following ingredients: alum, water, oil and add to the flour and salt mixture. Knead well until doesn’t stick to your hands. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag.

4. Another No Bake Play Doh Recipe

Then last but not least, another cooking free version.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of plain flour
  • 4 tbsn of cream of tartar
  • 2 tbsn of cooking oil
  • 1 cup of salt
  • food colouring of your choice
  • Instead of 2 cups tap/room temperature water, add in 2 cups of boiled water from kettle.

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix in all the ingredients until it starts to combine. Being careful the water is not too hot, get your hands in and bring the mixture together into a ball.

If it seems too wet, you can add in more flour until it’s good. But if gets too dry and starts cracking, add a bit of water until you gets the right consistency.

You can keep it in an airtight container or bag. It the weather is hot you can pop in in the fridge.

Extra Play Doh Making Tips

Involve your kids when making the play doh – obviously be careful around the hot water – they do enjoy creating it too, and can learn a lot out of this activity too.

Just also make sure to remind them not to eat it – it is very salty, may contain glitters and sand; and will have been played with on all sorts of different surfaces, so may have picked up all sorts of dirt!

This great toy has been a favorite of everybody, and has sparked many creative ideas to a lot of tots around the world.

Happy Play-Doh ing!

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