Homemade play dough is easy to make and fun to play with. We like filling our trays with it and pressing loose parts into the dough. Here's the recipe and some ideas of what to do with it!

Homemade Play Dough Recipe

• 1 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Salt
• 1 tablespoon Cream of Tartar
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 cup Boiling Water

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Pour oil and water into dry ingredients. Stir until combined into a dough. If too sticky/wet, add more flour/salt. If too dry/stiff, add more water. Once cooled down enough to handle, knead with your hands until smooth and ready to use!

Store in an airtight container and it keeps for weeks to months. The salt and cream of tartar help preserve the dough and make it smooth, soft, and pliable.

Optional: Add smells and colors to your dough for added sensory fun. Essential oils or kitchen spices. Food coloring or watercolor paint. Dried flowers and herbs. 

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Play Dough Activities:

• DECORATING TRAYS – Press dough into wood trays and decorate using stones, shells, glass pebbles, balls, beans, and more. Remember to remove the dough from the trays when you're done with this activity. It'll be easiest to remove while it is still soft.
• SPELLING – Use wooden letters to press into the dough, forming words. If desired, fill the letters with loose parts.
• IMPRESSIONS – Press the dough onto tracing boards and peel it off to replicate their patterns. You can also roll the dough into snakes and place them along the grooves of the tracing boards.
  
• MATH – On the 1–10 counting board, select a number section and press the dough to create an impression of the dots. Use this for simple equations. For example, with 7 dots imprinted, say, "7 minus 4 equals..." then press down 4 dots and count the remaining dots, "...3."

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Supplies List:

• Glass Pebbles
• Tumbled Agate Stones
• Wood Balls
• Wool Balls
• Wood Trays
• Tracing Boards
• Puzzles with Pieces for Stamping