Toddler Approved and SAFE Homemade Playdough

A couple weeks ago my BFF posted this on her
Facebook page...I can't believe I fall into that first category!

About a month ago, I got adventurous and decided to try out a couple of the homemade playdough recipes I had seen on blogs and pinterest.  I tried two different "easy" methods and I've got to tell you I love the results of one so much, I want to share it here with you today.  But first, the flop...

Have you heard about the playdough you make using cornstarch and hair conditioner?  Yeah, I tried it...I used our wonderful-smelling but uber-cheap green apple suave hair conditioner for the experiment.  I mixed it as directed and found the mixing very easy...the problem was the texture and smell of the resulting dough...it was just - chemically.  I know, I know - DUH!  But I had read all these blog posts raving about how great this stuff was and then it just wasn't.

The texture was kinda wet, but dry at the same time and it broke into pieces rather than being pliable like I expect playdough to be.  But, the chemically thing is what killed this for me.  I threw it out without ever letting Buddy even see it because there was no way I was going to give him that ball of uck to try to play with!

The second method I tried turned out wonderfully...it makes a nice sized-batch, the texture is amazingly soft and pliable and just what playdough should be, the smell is amazing, it's easy and quick to make and best of all - it's totally safe for toddlers!  Even better than all that, you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry!

Here's all you'll need to make this beautiful playdough:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 1 small package jello

And here's how easy it is to make:

Mix all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and heat on low until the mixture thickens, forms a ball and no longer sticks to your fingers.  The key is to be patient and stir occasionally while you're heating the mixture.

Once the mixture is a ball, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. After it's cool enough to touch without hurting yourself, dump it onto a clean surface and knead it together a few times.

That's it!  Allow it to cool the rest of the way and then have fun!  Buddy LOVES his play-dough!  I love his play-dough!  I loved it so much I made three batches the same day - orange, lime and pineapple (I added a little yellow food coloring to the pineapple mixture because it didn't have much color).

This play-dough is so easy and versatile!  I read that you can store it in your fridge and learned from experience that it can be frozen and thawed with no problem - don't ask why I know this.  It is easily stored in a Ziploc baggie and stays good for a long time.  I actually keep ours inside individual Ziploc baggies at room temperature and we've had it for about 4 weeks now with no signs of mold or drying out or loss of pliability!

I gave Buddy a ball of each of the colors to play with originally, but they became one homogeneous ball after that...I've let him play with the same ball every day or so for weeks and it keeps him busy for a at least a half hour every single time!  He talks and narrates "stories" of what's happening with his playdough the whole time he's playing - most of it I can't understand, but clearly his imagination is at work.  And the tactile nature of playing with playdough is great for kids!

I searched for pictures of Buddy playing with his, and all I could find was this cute video I took...and since it's nap time, this is all you're getting!  Enjoy!