Best Ever No-Cook Play Dough Recipe! - The Imagination Tree (2024)
by Anna Ranson
How to make the best ever, no-cook play dough recipe in just 4 minutes, that will lasts for 6 months! Voted the number one play dough recipe by teachers, parents and child-carers for many years in a row! I hope you’ll love it too 🙂
I’ve been working with children for over 20 years and play dough is the fail safe way to engage and excite little hands and minds! It is a brilliant sensory and fine motor tool that is ridiculously easy to make and SO much better than any store bought versions.
By making it yourself you know exactly what has gone into it and can also customise it in so many ways, such as adding colour, sparkles and even natural flavours or essential oils. It has a proven therapeutic quality and has saved my parenting on more occasions than I can number! It is, quite simply, the best play material out there.
I hope you will love my easiest ever, no-cook play dough recipe!
The benefits of using play dough for young children are wonderfuland the play possibilities are endless!
few drops glycerine (my secret ingredient for stretch and shine!)
[Amazon affiliate links to help you find the ingredients I recommend. Many of these are bulk size as it works out cheaper when making for classes or every month like we often do!]
Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a large mixing bowl
Add food colouring TO the boiling water then into the dry ingredients
Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough
Add the glycerine (optional)
Allow it to cool down thentake it out of the bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes until all of the stickiness has gone.* This is the most important part of the process, so keep at it until it’s the perfect consistency!*
If it remains a little sticky then add a touch more flour until just right
Voila!
We use theseWilton Gel coloursas they are much more vibrant and take only a tiny amount to colour the dough. We also use them in all our other sensory play activities to and they last for ever!
You can store this play dough in an air tight container for at least 6 months. If you live in a humid climate you might need to store it in the fridge and out of sunlight.
Here’s our new video showing how EASY it is to make this play dough!!
Once you’ve made your play dough hop on over to this post where I explain the totally amazing benefits of play dough play! And recommend many items to start collecting to create a play dough tool kit. Here are some brilliant play dough tools we have and love to use alongside this recipe. These are totally worth adding to your play dough toolbox and will last for a very long time!
I have listed the direct links to find the items in this image below:
Plus many more ideas in individual posts in my play dough archives!
How here are over 50+ ways to change this basic mix to create an amazing range of different play dough flavours and fun activities to go with them! Literacy, maths, imaginative play and role play to name just a few.
Click through to find your favourites and pin them for future use.
And here are 10 beautiful, natural play dough recipes for you to try too!
Enjoy!
Search the full Play Dough archives here
Looking for Salt Dough that can be played with then hardened into models to keep? Here is our Rainbow Glitter Salt Dough recipe
I hope you love this easy no-cook play dough recipe and will share it far and wide! Thanks for the hundreds upon hundreds of you that have already told me it’s the best recipe you’ve ever used and will use it in your classrooms and homes ever more! 🙂
[This post contains Amazon affiliate link to help you find products I love and recommend easily. Thank you!]
how to make the world's best homemade play-doh. You'll need 3 cups of white all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of table salt, 3-4 tablespoons of any cooking oil (start with 3 and add more if necessary), 3 cups HOT water, and food coloring.
how to make the world's best homemade play-doh. You'll need 3 cups of white all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of table salt, 3-4 tablespoons of any cooking oil (start with 3 and add more if necessary), 3 cups HOT water, and food coloring.
Little children can struggle to express their emotions and using dough while talking and singing can really help that process. It's perfect to set out after nap time or after a long day at school or preschool and really helps kids to unwind. My 11 year old STILL loves it!
Instructions. Place the cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix in the hair conditioner with your hands--it will just start coming together and it will be pliable and very, very smooth. If desired, add a drop or two or food coloring.
Light and fluffy play dough! Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a large sauce pan. Add oil and water and mix until well combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a large doughy ball forms.
With this recipe the key is to really make sure you knead the dough well to avoid ending up with an end product that is too sticky or wet. The glycerine is a secret ingredient that makes the playdough extra stretchy and fun!
Relaxation and Control: Playing with play dough has a calming effect on children. They can squeeze, roll, and shape the dough, which helps reduce stress and anxiety. It also teaches them how to manage their emotions and focus their energy in a positive way.
Play dough provides a sensory experience that helps to develop fine motor skills, ease tension and improve imagination, aiding early childhood development in a playful way. Playing with play dough is a very kinaesthetic activity that is good for the muscles, joints and bones in your child's arms and hands.
What are the benefits of play dough? Kneading, rolling, flattening and punching the play dough provide the chance to relieve stress and reduce feelings of anxiety and worry, which can lead to children (and adults) with autism and other special needs feeling frustrated and acting out because of these feelings.
In a plastic bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add vegetable oil, boiling water and food coloring. Let playdough cool completely before playing with it. When you are ready to play with the playdough, wash your hands and have fun!
Fresh playdough is basically salt dough. The cup of salt is there to help preserve it and to keep the mould out. Some recipes call for a salt mixture of course and refined salts, although plain old table salt works just as well. Too much flour may make your mixture into crumbly playdough.
It is easy to use your playdough to model some of your favorite foods. Some of the easiest to make include a breakfast plate of eggs and bacon, or creating a pizza and adding all of your favorite toppings. Don't forget to make a plate to put all of your delicious food on!
Cover the Play-Doh with clear nail polish for a fast-drying option. Grab a bottle of clear nail polish and spread a thin layer over your clay creation. Check the side of the bottle for the recommended drying time. This is a better solution for smaller projects.
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as they are much more vibrant and take only a tiny amount to colour the dough. We also use them in all our other sensory play activities to and they last for ever!
