Playdoh Recipe/cheap toy ideas

carolan78

I just mix together 5 cups of plain flour, 2 cups of salt and add water a cup of water. I will usually add food colouring to the water before it goes in.

jetta_wales

We used to make it regularly as my Mum ran a before and after school club and was a child minder before then. Really had to watch one or two of the kids though as they kept trying to eat bits of it. I think they liked the salty taste.

I thought that was just gross but in hindsight I used to munch on crayons as a kid and can even remember doing it. This was back when crayons tasted quite good though, they've changed them then and they don't taste so nice now lol.

emsywoo123

Ha the only thing I *thought* I knew about it was that it needed cream of tartar so I bought some last week for the first time on my 30 years....clearly a waste :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

jetta_wales

emsywoo123 wrote: »

Ha the only thing I *thought* I knew about it was that it needed cream of tartar so I bought some last week for the first time on my 30 years....clearly a waste :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

We always used that but I can't remember the measurements of the recipe for it at all. I'll ask my Mum tomorrow but I'm pretty sure it helps the mixture to bind.

building_with_lego

Doubtful_Guest wrote: »

I used to make it quite regularly but never though of cooking it before.
The recipe I knew was just really simple.

1 part salt
1 part water
2 parts flour
A spoonful or two of cooking oil.

We used to mix in food colouring and sometimes made smelly playdough by mixing in vanilla or lemon essence or a couple of drops of essential oils.

DS's preschool put glitter in theirs sometimes. It looks wonderful but gets everywhere, in the way that glitter does :mad::rotfl:

alanalea

How about cornflower messy play? Mix cornflour with water until it's runny (& add a bot of food colouring if you want to). It will go hard if you mix too quickly. It's a really weird consistancy, when you pick it up with your fingers it's almost a liquid, but when it's on the table it's solid.
My 2 (aged 6 & 2) play for hours with this stuff.

emsywoo123

alanalea wrote: »

How about cornflower messy play? Mix cornflour with water until it's runny (& add a bot of food colouring if you want to). It will go hard if you mix too quickly. It's a really weird consistancy, when you pick it up with your fingers it's almost a liquid, but when it's on the table it's solid.
My 2 (aged 6 & 2) play for hours with this stuff.

I think I might play for hours with it too :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

LJM

playdough/gloop/salt dough even makes cakes or biccies, im sure you could walk somewhere if weather nice even if it is only round block etc,library

Loulou2010

playdough recipe i use -

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1or2 cups of water (justadd enough til its the right consistency)
food colouring/nything smelly to make it interesting

cook it in a large pan over a meduim heat - you'll know when its done. leave to cool

i second the cornflour (oobleck) generally i mix 1 part water with 2 parts cornflour. add glitter/food colouring to it as well. great thing is if it starts to go hard you can just keep adding water to it.

HRV

I think adding the creme of tartar makes it last longer- more like the dough you buy. Without it its more salt dough which dries out more quickly- so for OPs purpose I think salt dough would be fine.

Also if you dont fancy real cooking just icing biscuits with sweets is dead easy- making spiders with black icing and bootlace sweets is good (especially for boys).

For older child- cbeebies website offers a change from the telly and is a bit more interactive