One Batch of Play Dough

One batch of homemade play dough transformed the moods and actions of my four children this weekend!  I intended to make it for my four year old, but as soon as the ingredients were out, the older kids were calling what color they wanted their portion to be.  Haha!

In a big bowl I stir:
5 cups of flour
1 cup salt
1/4 cup cooking oil
2 Tbsp alum (I was out of alum and used cream of tartar)

To this dry mixture (well, expect the oil) you pour 4 cups of boiling water.  Stir it up and it will come together nicely once it cools off after a few minutes.

At that point I divide up the dough into however many different colors we want to make.  Add the food coloring and knead well.  Presto, all done!  We store ours in Ziploc bags to keep them fresh.

I tell you, all weekend they were rolling, making, building, and pretending with this stuff, and they played together a lot.  Their favorite accessories this time were the rolling pin, plastic knife, toy cars, and Tinker Toys wooden sticks.

The homemade play dough doesn't crumble like the store bought kind, so it's not as big of a hassle, but I admit, there are random pieces of colored play dough here and there around the kitchen floor.  It's ok, this one was worth it.