Tip of the Day: Playdough!

Is it too hot to spend all day outside?  Are your kids bored and driving you crazy?  Are you wishing there was something for them to do that wouldn't make a mess of your house, involve more screen hours, or cost money?

Me, too.

On days like this, I turn to playdough.  Yes, even though my oldest is 14, we just love this stuff.  I have a bin full of assorted cookie cutters, rolling pins, and Mr. Potato head pieces for them to use, although they also tend to ransack my kitchen drawers to find other fun "tools".

Here's my stand-by recipe.  It works, it makes a bunch at a time, and it lasts forever.

If you have this, you're halfway there!

Play Dough Recipe:
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoon cream of tartar (find it in the spice section)
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
food coloring

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a pan.  Add water and food coloring, and mix well.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wood or metal spoon (you just need something stiff, that won't bend, like a rubber spatula would), for 3 – 5 minutes.  Dough will become difficult to stir and form a “clump”.

Most recipes will tell you to add the food coloring while you're kneading it, but that just turns my hands green or blue or whatever.  I've never had problems adding it with the water.  When you do knead it, it starts out super hot, so be careful.

This playdough will keep for a long time, like forever, if you keep it in a plastic container with a lid, or a Ziploc bag.

Make a couple of batches, and enjoy the happy, peaceful playing of your children.

I'm not kidding,

Kate