Homemade play dough is a fun, easy way to cut down on all those plastic containers the store-bought ones come in, and it’s also really great for gifts.

Play Dough is so much fun and such a part of childhood. Unfortunately, the widely known “Play-Doh” brand, upon further research, wasn’t exactly something I felt great about for our kids or the environment. While the exact ingredient formula is a secret, ingredients do include things like petroleum and surfactants, both of which can be harmful to the environment and to one’s health. I’m also extremely wary of manufactured dyes. The original use for Play-Doh was actually as a wallpaper cleaner, which didn’t exactly thrill me to read. So, with all that information in hand, and considering all those plastic Play-Doh containers entering our environment, I decided to opt for the homemade route.

I always love trying the homemade/do-it-yourself route, but I’m never quite sure what I’m getting into when I start a new project. Fortunately, in this case, homemade play dough is easy and fun. I love that the kids can be involved in making it, and there is little else more wonderful than kneading warm, fresh play dough. 

Normally, I can be pretty particular about where our ingredients like flour and oil come from, but with play dough, I am more relaxed. I keep a stash of the cheap, generic ingredients in bulk in a high cupboard just for crafts like these. (The cream of tar tar ingredient can seem a bit much, but I’ve sometimes found it in bulk sections at natural food stores for cheaper, and once, I stumbled across a mega sale of these and stocked up.)

I know there are tons of recipes out there, which are probably all pretty great, but the first one I tried was this one, and I LOVE it!  (I think it’s always nice to have someone narrow down recipes to ones that are tested and good, so you don’t have to.) We usually make a single or double batch, but you can easily make a half batch or times it by four or five even. Occasionally, I’ll use natural dyes, if we have some in the freezer. And once in awhile I’ll make scented dough too. I keep the play dough in glass jars or Pyrex containers in the fridge when the kids are done playing, and it lasts quite a long time for us.  You can also just reuse Play-Doh containers you might have on hand.

Play dough is fun to play with all on its own, but if you’d like accessories for it, don’t worry about buying a big kit. You can collect cookie cutters, garlic presses, rolling pins, and the like from garage sales, thrift shops, or your kitchen cupboard. Play dough “stamps” can be really anything you have lying around–corks, Legos, spools, and so on.  I’ve also come to love having a small plastic “kid” knife in our collection and a pair of very kid-friendly introductory scissors. Play dough is a great opportunity for little ones who are ready to practice cutting!

If you’re looking for a simple gift for a kiddo in your life, a jar of homemade play dough with a couple of cookie cutters attached with a ribbon is a perfect idea. The cookie cutters can be added to any collection the kiddo might already have. The play dough will be enjoyed until its time is done, and the jar can be cleaned and reused for more play dough or something else. For families who seem to have more than enough toys already, this is a great “consumable” gift.  You might also consider attaching a printed copy of the recipe and even a stash of the ingredients as the gift or part of it, so the family can make their own batches.

And, I have to say, even if you don’t have kids around and you aren’t planning on this as a present anytime soon, I do highly recommend everyone give this recipe a try at least once. There’s something very relaxing and grounding about holding and rolling this dough.  I recommend closing your eyes at least once while kneading the warm dough.   

Thank you for being here, as always!  Wishing you peace and calm at this time.