Play-dough Days - Secret Ingredient Included!!

One of my favorite people in the world, Dawn of Studio Ten Twenty Two, will guest author a piece every week on fun, thrifty projects for kids. She's an amazing artist and has the cutest three boys you'll ever see - they look like little angels. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!


Every child I know LOVES play-dough - the smooth feel of it in their hands, the vibrant colors, the OK to mix and create, the smell. . .Oh wait, the smell is awful. I’m not exactly sure what it's made of and it can be pricey and dry out quickly! What's a mom to do? Quick, read below for the world's most fantastic play-dough recipe ever!! I'm even feeling generous today and will offer up my secret ingredient that really turns this into the most amazing, fabulous wonderful play-dough your children will ever touch, and it’s so easy to make.

You need the following ingredients:

2 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
1 Tablespoon 
2 cups boiling water (I start the kettle when I start to measure the dry ingredients - it's whistling when we need the water) NEVER LET A CHILD HANDLE BOILING WATER UNATTENDED
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil)


***secret ingredients revealed at the end of the post - keep reading***

Whisk together the flour, salt and cream of tartar (silly bandz going up the wrist like in the photo are not necessary!!)  Next, add the boiling water, the olive oil and secret ingredient number 1. Mix until a dough forms. Poke a little hole in the dough and insert secret ingredient number 2 which melts once it's combined with the warm dough. When the dough cools, mix it with your hands until it feels smooth. If you want to add color, divide it into sections and use a few drops of food coloring until the desired color is reached. Finally, pull out all of the play-dough toys you can find, the rolling pins, cookie cutters, plastic knives, etc. Then, relax with a copy of InStyle magazine while your children are happily entertained making dough pizzas, bird nests, snakes and anything else they can dream up.

Our dough just waiting to be played with - I can't help but think it looks like scoops of ice cream. And I love the way the colors have stripes. Yummy!

Enjoy!

PS - Here are the secret ingredients for the dough. . .For an amazing scent add of a few drops of essential oil when you add the wet ingredients. I like to use lavender since I know it will be soothing to my children and gentle on their skin. If you want to use a different scent, make sure to ask at your apothecary for a recommendation so that you don't use any oil that could harm the child's skin. Secret ingredient #2 - I always add just a teaspoon or two of organic raw shea butter to my dough. The heat from the dough warms it and melts it making the dough buttery soft and yummy (please don't eat!) 

*** Shea butter comes from a tree nut. If your child has any tree nut allergies, DO NOT add the shea butter!***

Here's a cartoon I thought was funny. What mom (or dad) doesn't need a laugh during the day?