Tot Tuesday: Make Your Own Play Dough!

This was actually the 2nd Tot Tuesday post I ever made for Family Friendly Frugality. I just pulled the recipe out again though, because the play dough we made back then (back in August!) is just now getting kind of dry.

So I wanted to share it with you again! I hope you’ll give it a try, it is the best play dough recipe I’ve ever used!

I detest the smell of Play Doh. I remember disliking it even when I was a little girl and I loved playing with it myself.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I almost had to leave working in the church nursery because the kids were playing with play doh and the smell just overwhelmed me.

Not to mention…it’s crumbly, it sticks to your carpet, it goes dry very easily, it can be expensive!

The early childhood educator in me knows that there are many benefits to the creative play that play dough offers:

Play dough (and other art materials)

Any early childhood educator will tell you: The benefits of play dough are enormous. Not only does it give children a chance to get creative, it’s also great for small-motor-skills’ development (hand/finger muscles) and can be soothing in times of stress (think of the corporate executive’s squeeze ball)

Why Basic Toys May Be Best

So I was on the hunt for a make your own play dough recipe that wasn’t crumbly, was easy for my kids little hands to manipulate, and was low cost.
I tried many different recipes. Some were rock hard, some started to go bad after only a day or two, and some required ingredients I don’t typically have on hand.

I stumbled upon this recipe, and with some slight tweaks, it’s the best one I’ve found yet. The consistency of the play dough is more soft and pliable than commercial play doh and it’s very easy for little hands to manipulate. It lasts a LONG time too.

Start Playing!

You don’t need fancy toys to play with play dough; cookie cutters and plastic knives & forks work fine (age appropriate of course)

I linked this post up here: