This Homemade Playdough Recipe is super easy to make and safe for kids! This playdough recipe makes the perfect soft and squishy playdough that the kids are going to have so much fun playing with! This is seriously the BEST homemade playdough recipe out there! I have been using it for years and it is my go to playdough recipe!

Homemade Playdough

We love getting crafty in our house and so I thought I would share one of our favorite homemade crafty fun projects with you guys. Homemade playdough!

Making homemade playdough is so easy to do and the kids love making it. I love homemade projects that the kids enjoy making and then enjoy playing with as well, we get to have fun together making it and then playing with it.

It is easy to let the kids create custom colors of playdough, so I do not have to hunt the stores for the colors they want, I can just make them at home!

My older kids like to tell me that they do not enjoy playing with play dough, however it speaks for itself when they are at the kitchen table with the younger kids getting creative too. This playdough recipe is great for the kids who just love to play and for sensory play.

If you are looking for a fun sensory play activity, check out the Under the Sea Sensory bin!

Why Make Homemade Playdough

Homemade playdough is cheap to make, and a lot cheaper then buying store bought playdough. I also don’t have to worry about upset kids when the playdough dries out if they leave the container open, because I can just make some more!

If you are looking for more fun, then be sure to check out the scented playdough, cake scented playdough and the sparkly playdough. We also like to make cloud dough, My kids love them all and they are all kid safe!

How to store homemade playdough

Storing homemade playdough is simple. You can use airtight containers, like plastic rubbermaid containers or you can store it in plastic ziplock bags. Just make sure if you are using ziplock bags you squeeze as much of the air out of the bag as you can when you close them.

How long does homemade playdough last?

Homemade play dough will last up to 3 months as long as it is stored properly in an air tight container or ziplock bag.

Playdough Activities

Aside from just playing with it, playdough is great for fun activities too. Here are a few of our fun playdough activities that the kids love.

Snowman Playdough Activity
Pumpkin People Play-Doh Halloween Activity
Playdough flossing. This one is great for teaching the kids how to floss!

This playdough will work with any cookie cutters or any playdough activity sets you already have. If you are looking for play-doh activity sets, the Play-doh Cake Making Station Playset, Play-Doh Cake Party and the Play-Doh Cupcake Celebration Playset are 3 of our favorites!

This play dough recipe is super simple and you probably already have everything you need to make this playdough recipe in your pantry.

Homemade Playdough Recipe Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 cups water
Food coloring – you need 10-12 drops of what ever color you are wanting to make. I prefer to use liquid food coloring over gel food coloring.

How to Make homemade playdough

In a pot, add vegetable oil, water and then add the food coloring. Stir until they are mixed well.

Then add in the dry ingredients. Add the salt and cream of tartar and mix until they are both dissolved in the liquid.

Slowly add in the flour and mix well (it will be runny and gooey).

Now turn the heat up to medium heat on the stove and continue to stir the mixture until it is thick. It will start to stick to your spoon or spatula, whichever you are using to mix it. Once the dough starts to form a ball as you mix it, remove from the heat.

“Plop” the mixture into a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool.

Once it is cool to the touch, knead the playdough to get it nice and soft. This is when I like to get the kids involved. Playdough works best if it is kneaded for roughly 10 minutes after it has cooled, the kids have no problems playing with playdough for that long, so it is perfect!

If you have little kids then you can stick the playdough into a ziplock bag and have them knead it that way, but I have always found they take it out of the bag any way so I don’t bother with them.

If your playdough is a little sticky you can add a SMALL amount of flour to it when you are kneading it.

Once you are done kneading your playdough, you can play with it immediatly or store it in an airtight container or ziplock bags.

Homemade Playdough

This play dough recipe is super simple and you probably already have everything you need to make this playdough recipe in your pantry.

4.22 from 19 votes

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Author: Lauren

Supplies Needed

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 cups water
Food coloring - you need 10-12 drops of what ever color you are wanting to make. I prefer to use liquid food coloring over gel food coloring.

Instructions

In a pot, add vegetable oil, water and then add the food coloring. Stir until they are mixed well.
Then add in the dry ingredients. Add the salt and cream of tartar and mix until they are both dissolved in the liquid.
Slowly add in the flour and mix well (it will be runny and gooey).
Now turn the heat up to medium heat on the stove and continue to stir the mixture until it is thick. It will start to stick to your spoon or spatula, whichever you are using to mix it. Once the dough starts to form a ball as you mix it, remove from the heat.
"Plop" the mixture into a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool.
Once it is cool to the touch, knead the playdough to get it nice and soft. This is when I like to get the kids involved. Playdough works best if it is kneaded for roughly 10 minutes after it has cooled, the kids have no problems playing with playdough for that long, so it is perfect!
If you have little kids then you can stick the playdough into a ziplock bag and have them knead it that way, but I have always found they take it out of the bag any way so I don't bother with them.
If your playdough is a little sticky you can add a SMALL amount of flour to it when you are kneading it.
Once you are done kneading your playdough, you can play with it immediatly or store it in an airtight container or ziplock bags.

More fun Kids activities to try!

How to Make Butter Slime

How to make Fluffy Slime

Mess free finger paint

How to make fluffy slime with glitter glue

Unicorn Slime

Clear Slime Recipe