Must Have Toys: Playdough

This is the first in a series of toys and playthings that I plan to feature in this site. Some of these “must haves” may be commercially available and some homemade.  This series does not necessarily aim to promote a product, but perhaps to highlight the value of such TYPES of products. On occasion, however, I am open to endorsing a product or item, but only if I beleive in it
One of the most valuable playthings for children, in my opinion is playdough.  For me, it’s like literally giving a kid a world of possibilities in their hands. Playdough does not only offer kids a fun time, it also exercises their imagination, gives them opportunities to share, and allows them to learn simple concepts such as shapes and sizes. For older kids concepts can include fractions and parts of a whole. I’ve also used playdough to help teach kids about textures. These definitely highlight why playdough is a must have plaything for kids.

I prefer the softer playdough over the harder modelling clays which are more difficult to manipulate. There are many popular brands out there, but I go for the homemade ones for two main reasons: one, it’s more economical and two, the kids can actually be involved in making the dough!

You can Google a lot of different playdough recipes, but here’s one I particularly like and use myself:

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tbsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. food coloring* (if you wanna make different colors, hold off adding this until you divide the mixture)

1 tbsp. oil

1 cup water

Procedure:

1. Dissolve the salt in the water in a medium saucepan. If you are using rock salt, dissolve as best as you can and remove the remaining crystals to avoid lumpy clay.

2. Add in the flour, oil, coloring* and cream of tartar. Stir over medim heat for about 5 minutes or until you can form a ball and holds together. If you’d like to make different colors of dough, do not add the coloring until after the dough has been cooked. Then divide the mixture and add in drops of food coloring as you desire.

3. Cool slightly then knead the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface, preferrably while still somewhat warm.

4. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

This  recipe is generally safe and non-toxic for children. I like adding a few drops of essential oils to make the dough smell yummy. My preferences include peppermint, cinnamon, and vanilla. However, I make sure to label my container with a “do not put in your mouth” sign and only let the older children use it as young toddlers may try to taste the dough!

What I like about this cooked type of dough is that it has a very stretchy, bouncy consistency that’s not too sticky, which uncooked doughs tend to be.

Do try it out and have fun! Let me know how it works for you!

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