One of Evie’s favorite things to do when her little brother naps is play with Play-Doh.  “Mom, can I play play dough?” she asks so sweetly, not knowing that I cringe a little bit on the inside whenever she asks because A) it makes a huge mess and B) I get a little anxious about the ingredients and country of origin of the stuff from the toy store.

So, I was thrilled when my lovely friend Molly shared a recipe for homemade play dough she got from her daughter’s pre-school.  I’ve been wanting to make my own all-natural version for a while now, and the email from Molly was just the motivation I needed.

The recipe proved to be simple and fun to make.  Evie and I spent some time making a couple batches this afternoon in the kitchen, followed by even more time at the dining table molding our homemade dough into silly shapes.  What a nice way to enjoy quiet quality time with my big girl!

When Mack woke up from his nap, he curiously spied Evie’s mess on the table.  So, I put him into his high chair with a generous dollop of dough.  Much to my surprise, he didn’t try to eat it!  Rather, he followed his sister’s lead and smooshed the dough between his fingers and gathered it in small cups I also put on his tray.

The dough is fine to use in its natural white state, but a few drops of food coloring add a bit of fun.   India Tree makes a great all-natural line of food dye.  We made batches of green and blue.

Homemade Play Dough

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

several drops of food coloring

In a small saucepan, mix dry ingredients well.  Add water, oil and food coloring and stir until well blended.  Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to resemble the texture of play dough. Remove from heat, cool and store in an air-tight container.