Homemade Playdough

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups warm water

1 cup salt

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon cream of tartar

food coloring

 

Directions: Mix first five ingredients. Stir over low heat until dough thickens, pulls away from sides, and clumps in the middle. Continue stirring and cooking a little longer, until it's dry and feels playdoughish. Remove pan from heat and allow dough to cool slightly.

Turn dough out onto a clean counter and knead vigorously until it becomes silky-smooth. Divide the dough into balls for coloring. Make a divot in the center of the ball, and drop some food coloring in. Fold the dough over, working the food color through the body of the playdough, trying to keep the raw dye away from your hands and the counter. Store playdough in an air-tight container.

"My kids" love this! I only use it with a few of them at a time, however, so I can keep a close eye on them. Even though it's non-toxic, the salty taste I'm sure it must have is not to their liking and I'd rather them never put it in their mouths than chew and spit out or chew and like and keep eating. =) That said, it makes a great activity for the end of the day when there are only a few children left who are getting bored with their toys and starting to feel pretty homesick for "Mom-mom" and "Dad-dad." Let's see . . . what can we make today?