Simple DIY Play Dough

Making play dough for my little ones and their friend turned out to be a fun weekend activity but this can also be used as a great party activity. There are only 5 ingredients and it seriously only takes 5 minutes.

Ingredients:
Flour – 4 cups
Salt – 1 cup
Cooking oil – 1 Tbsp
Warm water – 2 cups
Unsweetened flavored drink mix – 1 package

Instructions: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and knead for 5 minutes. YES! I kid you not, it really was as simple as this!

Since this was my first time attempt at this simple feat, I did learn a couple things for next time that I will share with you. As you figure out your desired consistency, you may end up adding a bit more flour. I used a package of unsweetened pink lemonade flavored Kool-Aid. The color of the dough didn’t turn out as vibrant as I would have liked (although I don’t think the kids could care less as long as they could mash it and mold it to their heart’s desire). To get a more colorful look to the play dough, next time I will use the bright red cherry flavor or the purple grape flavor and maybe I will try with more than one package or a teaspoon of food coloring. Reusing the play dough is also simple, just store it in a tight container.

This recipe was for the easy, no frills, no bake version that my kids could also get involved with. I did some research and found that there are other more time consuming or complicated varieties that you can make to suit your needs such as edible, gluten-free, dairy-free, and baked play dough. Other ingredients can be used including cornstarch, olive oil, whipped topping, cream of tartar (for improved elasticity), and scented oils. Most variations are still fairly simple so the fun factor is definitely worth the small effort. I hope your creation comes out well and you enjoy this simple DIY play dough recipe!