Play dough is the go-to material for arts and crafts projects. Kids and adults alike love being able to mold it, shape it, and paint with it. The soft consistency makes play dough perfect for both finger painting and making 3D sculptures, but sometimes you just can’t find the time to make your own batch of play dough at home – between cooking dinner, cleaning up after dinner, doing the dishes, getting the kids to bed, and tidying up around the house before bed yourself, there’s little time left in your day! That’s where this guide comes in!

How to make play dough?

Add 1 cup of flour, 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt, 1⁄2 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar to a saucepan or double boiler over medium heat. Stir well while bringing it to a boil; allow it to boil on low heat for two minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl once cool enough to touch (about 10 minutes). 

Using an electric mixer on high speed or kneading by hand until smooth with added food coloring if desired. Play dough can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to three months. You may also substitute powdered milk in place of water to make a firmer play dough. If you do so, you will need 3 cups of flour instead of 1 cup.

Colors and shapes of play dough

Play dough can be bought in just about any color, but there are a few that you should look out for. Neon colors, including bright green, orange, red and yellow are a great addition to any box of play dough because they add vibrancy to your projects while providing variation. 

Play dough also comes in many different shapes, from letters to numbers to animals. Make sure you have enough of these on hand so that your kids don’t get bored with their projects too quickly.

Play dough recipes

There are a number of recipes that you can make at home, but as with most things, homemade is best. It will take more time and effort than simply running out to buy some from a store, but you’ll know exactly what went into your play dough—and that’s incredibly satisfying. 

The ingredients for basic play dough include flour, salt, cream of tartar (an acid), vegetable oil and water. You can also add food coloring or glitter if you like. Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl until they form a ball; then knead it on a flat surface until it becomes smooth and elastic (this usually takes about 10 minutes). If you want colored dough, divide it into small balls before kneading; otherwise mix in food coloring after kneading.

Creativity exercises with play dough

Play dough is an incredible material to work with when you’re looking to increase your creativity or let off some steam. To get your creative juices flowing, try these exercises.

Roll out a large ball of play dough and make it into whatever shape you like: circle, square, triangle. You can use cookie cutters to make shapes if you want something specific (don’t forget to use a clean cutter every time). T

hen take scissors and snip it into smaller pieces; keep doing that until all of your play dough has been chopped up into small chunks. Now put them back together in different ways! It will look completely different than it did before!