Playdough Play and Recipes

Our tamariki love playing with playdough.

Playdough can be such a wonderful tool for children's development, providing a variety of benefits that support their growth.

It can help strengthen their fine motor skills, which are so important as they learn tasks like writing and using scissors later on. The squeezing, rolling, flattening, and pinching of playdough can improve their hand-eye coordination and build those essential hand and finger muscles.

What makes playdough even more special is how it allows children to express their creativity.

They can create their own masterpieces and engage in imaginative play, turning simple objects into exciting scenarios. The tactile experience of playdough truly connects with their sense of touch, helping to stimulate their brains and promote active learning. It's heartwarming to see how something so simple can spark joy and encourage both learning and exploration in young children.

Here are two playdough recipes: wheat-based and gluten-free, to try at home.

Wheat-Based Playdough Recipe 

A simple and effective playdough recipe uses flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, and boiling water, with optional food colouring. Here's a basic recipe: 

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of salt

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 cup of boiling water

Food colouring (optional, but makes it extra fun) 

Instructions:

Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cream of tartar.

Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl or measuring jug, combine the boiling water, oil, and food colouring (if using).

Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a sticky dough forms.

Cool and knead: Let the dough cool slightly, then knead it vigorously on a clean surface until it becomes smooth and pliable.

Store: Once cooled, store the playdough in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3 months.

Gluten Free Playdough Recipe 

The recipe is for the white dry base that can be kept in the cupboard until you would like to make it up.

The dry base will last for over 6 months and then, when made up with water, will last for a further 6 months in an airtight container.

White base gluten-free play dough

110g - Rice flour

70g - Cornflour

70g - Salt

1/2ml (1/4 teaspoon) - Glycerine

1 teaspoon - Xanthan gum 

20ml - Sunflower oil 

1 drop orange oil (optional)

1 tablespoon - Cream of tartar 

Instructions:

Mix together salt, glycerine, sunflower oil and orange oil, then mix in the cornflour with your hands.

Run this mix through a sieve (this part takes the most amount of time).

Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

You can keep this in the cupboard in an airtight container happily for at least 6 months. 

to make the salt fine, which helps with making the play dough smooth, you can mill the salt for a few seconds in a dry bullet blender. 

To make up the playdough for use, add 50ml warm water for every 120g of powder (100ml water for 240g powder) and add a few drops of food colouring. Knead together for 5 minutes and add an extra few drops of water if needed.

If the playdough becomes dry after play, just add a few drops of water and knead in.