DIY: Homemade Flour Playdough | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Homemade Flour Playdough

Stem Activities

Ages: 3-5

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Two small decorative items made of modeling clay sit on a light woodgrain surface. The first resembles a Christmas tree-shaped cupcake. It has a light green base, a yellow cupcake wrapper, pink swirled frosting decorated with small colorful dots, and a yellow star on top. The second resembles a traditional swirled cupcake. It has a yellow base, a light green cupcake wrapper, and pink and yellow swirled frosting topped with a light green ball and small colorful dots.

Playdough is an excellent sensory material for young children, not only stimulating creativity but also developing fine motor skills and cognitive development. You can make safe playdough at home using flour, giving parents peace of mind during playtime. Parents can adjust the recipe to control the hardness and elasticity of the playdough, providing children with more creative possibilities and enjoyment.

Materials Needed

2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Food colouring
1/2 cup hot water (80-90°C)
Large bowl
Measuring cups
Spoons
Gloves

An overhead shot displays various ingredients and tools arranged on a light woodgrain surface, likely for a science experiment or cooking activity. Items include a large clear glass bowl, a glass of water, small bowls containing flour, sugar, and baking soda, three small bottles of food coloring (yellow, blue, and red), a small dish of oil, black measuring cups and spoons, a white spoon, and a small clear plastic bag of an unidentified white substance.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Mix 2 cups of plain flour, 1/2 cup salt, and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl.

A hand holds a black measuring spoon filled with baking soda over a clear glass bowl. The baking soda is being poured into the bowl, which already contains flour and sugar. The bowl rests on a light woodgrain surface. This image likely depicts the initial steps of preparing a recipe.

Step 2

Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and mix well.

A hand pours oil from a small black measuring spoon into a clear glass bowl containing flour. A small puddle of oil is already visible in the flour. The bowl sits on a light woodgrain surface. This image appears to show a step in a recipe or experiment where oil is being added to dry ingredients.

Step 3

Add 1/2 cup of hot water (80-90°C) and stir the mixture with a spoon.

A hand pours a liquid, likely water, from a black measuring cup into a clear glass bowl containing flour. Some of the liquid has already been poured, creating a wet area in the flour. The bowl sits on a light woodgrain surface. This image likely depicts a stage in cooking or an experiment where liquid is being combined with dry ingredients.

Step 4

Allow the dough to cool. Then, wearing gloves, knead the dough until the surface becomes slightly smooth. If the dough feels too sticky, add 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until it no longer sticks to your hands.

A clear glass bowl sits on a light woodgrain surface. Inside the bowl is a single, cohesive mass of white dough. Residue from the dough preparation is visible on the inside walls of the bowl. This image likely depicts dough that has just been mixed and is ready for the next stage in a recipe.

Step 5

Divide the dough into several small balls.

Four equal-sized balls of dough are arranged in a two-by-two grid on a light woodgrain surface. They appear ready to be shaped or cooked.

Step 6

Add food colouring and knead until evenly mixed to create playdough of different colours.

On a light woodgrain surface, a hand uses a small bottle to drop blue food coloring onto a flattened piece of white dough. In the background, three smaller balls of dough are visible: pink, light green, and yellow. This image appears to depict the process of coloring playdough or dough for a craft project.

Step 7

Let your imagination run wild and have fun playing!

Two small decorative items made of playdough sit on a light woodgrain surface. The item on the left is shaped like a Christmas tree, with layered pink dough forming the tree, decorated with small, colorful dots, a yellow star on top, and a light green base. The item on the right resembles a cupcake or other swirled dessert. It features layered yellow and pink dough swirls, topped with a light green ball, and a light green ring around a textured yellow base. These appear to be children's crafts made from playdough.

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