Easy Naturally Colored Homemade Play-Dough.

I am always looking for easy, cheap and safe play ideas to keep life interesting. There are so many ways to play with play dough – sensory play, sculpting, stamping, cutting, mixing colors (even though this hurts my soul a bit) and more! After looking into numerous recipes for the homemade play-dough process I had expectations that it would be complex. I was completely shocked at how quick and painless it was! This recipe is not hard at all and most items are already in the pantry (or easily found at the grocery store or online if not).

This recipe is found in the book The Montessori Toddler and I have added some additional details and natural coloring tips. I love the natural coloring as it is easily found in spices and foods that are often handy and feels safer, especially if “licking or tasting” becomes part of play. Most importantly for the kiddos, the colors created are so pleasing to the eye!

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Naturally Colored Homemade Play-Dough

Cost effective, taste-safe (not edible) and beautiful naturally colored homemade play-dough.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Active Time10 minutes mins

Flour Prep and Cooling Time20 minutes mins

Keyword: Play-dough, Sensory Play

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl (One bowl per color)
• Measuring Spoons
• Glass Measuring Cup
• Baking Sheet
• Oven
• Microwave, Stove or Hot Plate
• Spatula
• Air tight container

Materials

• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour (*cooked, see below)
• 1/4 cup Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 cup Boiling Water
• 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Natural Coloring

• 1/4 teaspoon Spirulina Powder (Green Play-Dough)
• 1/8 teaspoon Turmeric (Yellow Play-Dough)
• 1/4 teaspoon Paprika (Orange Play-Dough)
• 1 Tablespoon Liquid from Steamed Blueberries (Purple Play-Dough) **Remove 1 tablespoon of water initially and add back in if you feel consistency needs more liquid.
• 1.5 Tablespoons Liquid from Steamed Beets (Light Pink Play-Dough) **Remove 1 tablespoon of water initially and add back in if you feel consistency needs more liquid.

Instructions

• Preheat Oven to 350°F.
• Place dry, raw flour on baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. (Can be completed the day of or several days before).
• Place dry ingredients in a bowl and combine. (This is a perfect step for babe to help with).
• Boil water by placing in a pot on the stovetop or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave.
• Add boiling water, oil and coloring of choice to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula until a ball starts to form and it is cool enough to handle. (This step is best to be completed by the big people and for babe to observe).
• Kneed dough to distribute the color completely. (When cool enough, babe can certainly help with this step).
• Once cool, store in air tight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Notes

This recipe is inspired by The Montessori Toddler. The coloring element concepts are my own.

You can easily double or triple the above recipe for larger quantities. I like to do several batches at once and create a few different colors!

Food coloring is also an easy option to color the play-dough, especially for blue tones. I prefer gel coloring as I think it works better into the dough.

*Cooking the flour prior to use allows for any harmful bacteria present to be killed. It is not recommended to taste or consume raw flour.

**Use the excess liquid created from steaming the beets and blueberries as a coloring aspect. Initially, substitute this liquid for water in the initial recipe. If you feel you need more fluid for your desired consistency, add it back into the recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? What colors have you made or had success with?

Let’s talk soon,
Al

References:
Davies, Simone. The Montessori Toddler. Workman Publishing Co., Inc. 2019.