Did you know you can easily make your own playdough instead of buying it? Aside from it being a cheaper alternative to Play Doh, if your kid likes to suck fingers or loves sticking stuff in their mouth, this may even be a better, more natural choice. A simple recipe for our mix has flour, water, salt, oil and citric acid in it. You can also add some natural food coloring (think curry or beets) to make it more fun for your kid. I’d recommend making a larger batch which you can freeze and use as needed later.
A simple recipe for DIY playdough
The ingredients:
- 1 lb of wheat flour
- 2 cups of water (approx. 16 fl-oz)
- 0.5 lb of salt
- 4 tablespoons of oil
- 1.5 teaspoons of citric acid (or fresh lemon juice)
Directions:
- Boil the water in the pot and add the oil then the citric acid
- In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients and add them to the pot. Mix it. Then let it cool.
- If you want the balls to be colored, add food colouring.
- When the mixture has cooled down, knead the dough with a blender (or hands) and form balls.
NOTE: keep the playdough in a plastic, closed bag – the salt has preservative properties and it will keep it fresh. You can also wrap it tightly with a plastic foil.
Why DUY playdough is better than Play Doh
- pretty cheap
- odorless
- hypoallergenic
- lasts a long time
- easy to make and prepare
What can you do with homemade play dough:
Home-made mix is much more elastic and has more possibilities since you can hone in on what your kid loves to do with it. After adding dyes, you can make figures, e.g. animals, insects, people, or just knead it, because it has an anti-stress effect on the child and helps relieve the emotions.
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