The Best No Cook Playdough Recipe!

This has to be the BEST homemade playdough recipe around! Finally, an easy playdough recipe you don’t have to cook! Kids love playdough and it works magically for a variety of ages. Add this no cook playdough recipe to your bag of sensory recipes, and you will always have something fun to whip up any day you want!

HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH RECIPE FOR KIDS!

HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH

I don’t know too many kids who don’t love a fresh batch of homemade playdough. It makes a wonderful sensory play activity, enhances learning activities, and feels amazing for the senses! Cookie cutters, natural materials, plastic kitchen tools are all fun ways to explore playdough. My son has loved playdough for years, and I am excited to share with you this awesome go-to playdough recipe that he loves. Change it up for the seasons and holidays too!

HANDS-ON LEARNING WITH PLAYDOUGH

Playdough is an excellent addition to your preschool activities! Even a busy box comprised of a ball of homemade playdough, a small rolling pin and special little additions like acrylic gems or small accessories can transform an afternoon.

MORE FUN PLAYDOUGH ACTIVITIES:

Duplos are fun to stamp in playdough!
Use number or letter cookie cutters along with homemade playdough for math and literacy. Add counters for one to one counting practice too.
Create a holiday theme such as orange playdough and black spiders for halloween with dice for counting.
Add a handful of google eyes to the playdough and a pair of kid-safe tweezers to practice fine motor skills while removing them!
Pair a favorite book such as a truck book with a ball of fresh playdough, small vehicles, and rocks! Or a mermaid book with sparkling gems to create mermaid tails.
TOOBS animals pair well with playdough too and are perfect for exploring different habitats around the world

HOW LONG DOES NO COOK PLAYDOUGH LAST?

We love homemade playdough because you don’t have to hunt it down in the store, and the kids can help you make it! Making your own playdough is truly delightful and it’s also much less expensive than buying playdough.

Plus, no cook playdough stays fresh much longer if you store it properly, and you can easily change it up for whatever theme you want! Kids love how soft it is too!

Store it in the refrigerator, in a sealed container and your playdough should last several weeks to a month or longer, depending on amount of use.

NO COOK PLAYDOUGH RECIPE

You can also add scented oils to your play dough to enhance the sensory play or make a new theme for a holiday or season. Additionally, you can add spices like cinnamon or dried lavender and lavender oil for a calming playdough activity!

Remember, this playdough is NOT edible, but it is taste-safe!

More fun playdough recipes include: apple pie playdough, pumpkin playdough and cornstarch playdough.

YOU WILL NEED:

2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of salt
3/4 cup of hot water
1 tablespoon of baby oil (or cooking oil)
2 tablespoons of cream of tartar
food coloring

HOW TO MAKE NO COOK PLAYDOUGH

1: Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, and form a well in the center.

2: Add the baby oil and food coloring to the dry ingredients.

4: Add water and stir!

NOTE: If you notice that the playdough looks a little runny, you might be tempted to add more flour. Before you do this, allow the mixture to rest for a few moments! That will give the salt a chance to absorb the extra moisture.

Feel your playdough before you add any additional flour! You likely won’t need any but if your dough is sticky, add an additional 1/4 cup of flour at a time.

PLAYDOUGH TIP: You can make a giant batch of plain colored homemade playdough, and then color each one separately! Simply form a lump of playdough into a ball and then make a well in the center of each ball. Squirt in a few drops of food coloring. Close up the well and get to work squishing. This may get a bit messy but can make for a fun color surprise.

CHECK IT OUT: Playdough activities for the whole year!

MORE FUN SENSORY RECIPES