Many of us have fond childhood memories of creating our own worlds out of modeling clay. Now you can share that joy with the children in your life by making playdough at home. Making your own playdough is quick and easy, and only requires a few basic ingredients.

Here are two common recipes.

The basic recipe (without cooking)

Materials needed:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup of water
• Food coloring
• large mixing bowl
• measuring cup
• wax paper

Addresses:

1. Prepare the area you will be using by laying down a layer of wax paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients to break up any lumps.
3. Add the oil to the flour and salt mixture.
4. Fill the measuring cup with one cup of water. Add food coloring directly to the water and mix well. About 7 drops tends to produce a nice color, but add more or less as you see fit.
5. Slowly add the colored water to the flour, salt, and oil mixture. Pour in about 1/4 cup at a time while mixing with a spoon.
6. Once all the water has been added, continue stirring with the spoon until the mixture takes on a dough-like texture.
7. Transfer the dough to wax paper and knead until the color is evenly distributed.
8. Enjoy sharing and playing with your clay.

Stovetop Playdough (This version involves some cooking)

Material required:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups of warm water
• 1 cup of salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar (optional to improve elasticity)
• Food coloring
• a medium saucepan
• wax paper

Addresses:

1. Prepare your area by laying down a layer of wax paper.
2. In saucepan, combine flour, salt, and cream of tartar (optional). Break up the lumps with a spoon.
3. Add the oil and warm water to the dry mixture. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until the batter begins to thicken and pulls away from the sides of the pan. (Note: the batter will look like thick mashed potatoes)
4. When the dough starts to clump together in the center of the pan, remove the pan from the heat and allow the dough to cool enough to handle.
5. Transfer the cooled dough to wax paper and knead until the dough has a consistent texture.
6. Roll the dough into a ball (or several balls) and press your finger down into the center of the ball creating a cutlet. Add several drops of food coloring into the cutlet, then fold the color into the dough until it’s an even color. Add more color as needed.
7. Enjoy playing with your freshly made modeling clay.

Tips:

• This modeling clay is edible and will not harm a child if eaten. (Of course, I wouldn’t recommend eating it. It’s quite salty and unpleasant.)
• If you want scented playdough, add a bit of flavor extract or scented oil (peppermint or lemon oil are good choices) when you add your color. Be careful to use something that is food grade, as little ones may want to put the dough in their mouths if it smells edible.
• To avoid getting your hands dirty when kneading the color into the dough, keep a pair of disposable plastic gloves handy. Once the color is fully integrated, it should not come off on the skin.
• Make sure you store your playdough in an airtight container. If left out, the dough will dry out.
• If your dough starts to dry out a bit, kneading a little water into the dough should “fresh” it. However, after a certain point, you will simply have to throw away the dry dough and start over.
• If you are concerned about molding the dough, storing the dough in the refrigerator when not in use will help keep mold and/or bacteria growth down.