To make homemade play-dough, you can follow this simple cooked recipe that yields soft, pliable dough suitable for kids to play with:
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup salt
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (coconut oil works too)
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, stir together the flour, salt, and cream of tartar.
- Add the water and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients. If making one color, add the food coloring now.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and forms a ball of dough that pulls away from the sides of the pot.
- Remove from heat and transfer the dough onto wax paper or into a bowl to cool slightly.
- Once cool enough to handle, knead the dough until smooth.
- If making multiple colors, divide the dough into portions, place each in a separate plastic bag, add food coloring drops, and knead inside the bag to avoid staining hands.
- Store the play-dough in airtight bags or containers to keep it soft. It can last up to 3 months if stored properly
This method produces a non-sticky, elastic play-dough that is easy to handle and safe for children to use. The cream of tartar improves elasticity, and the salt acts as a preservative
. Alternative no-cook or cornstarch-based recipes exist but the cooked flour- salt-cream of tartar method is most common for classic play-dough texture and durability
