Making Playdoh

Playdoh Craft Fun

In case you haven't had an occasion to make Playdoh lately, here is the recipe: 1 cup flour, 1 cup boiling (or hot) water, 1/2 cup salt, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, and a few drops of food color. Mix and knead. It should be like mashed potatoes and pull away from the side of the bowl. A little more flour might be necessary. Store it in a Ziploc bag or plastic food storage container. It lasts a long time in the refreigerator, but with active play it can be easily replaced.

Iain had an introduction to Playdoh made by the college students in the child development class at the college preschool he attends. The students prepare various centers for the children to experience new sights, smells, textures, and skills. Iain gave the clay a few tentative pokes. When he had his own clay at home he was more willing to roll it and build with it.

When I was substituting in a kindergarten class several weeks ago, there was the same homemade Playdoh. One of the activity centers had several bags of colored Playdoh with a big assortment of molds, cookie cutters, and little rolling pins: Lots of manipulation skills and active imagination at work.

I saw Playdoh again in the Special Education room during a recent substitute day. Each child had a bag labeled with his name, and it was used as a quiet transition activity between other learning activities. My recipe came from the staff there, but http://www.cooks.com/ and http://www.instructables.com/ have an assortment of different recipes and colorful picture directions. Other than the hot water, and I've found that warm water works just fine, this is a recipe that a child can make with an adult. It is amazing to watch the ingredients form the dough.