Play Dough

Cream of Tartar Play Dough Recipe by Rhonda Woodman

Play Dough Ingredients

This is a cooked version of play dough that uses cream of tartar. Although it takes a little longer to make, it tends to be smoother than non-cooked versions. Once it has been slightly cooled, the warm dough being molded by little hands is always gratifying and is especially fun on a winter’s day.

1 cup flour

1⁄2 cup salt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Food coloring by drops

How to Make Homemade Play Dough

Combine all ingredients in a pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the dough starts to come together in a ball. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for a few moments. Take it out and knead it with your hands.  If it’s too sticky put it back in the pan and heat for a while longer, but not too long. There’s a knack to knowing when the play dough will knead well without sticking on your hands.

You can add the food coloring yourself or let the kids do it (they love to choose and mix colors and enjoy blending them in). Either way, be sure to blend in a bit of the food coloring with a spoon first, so that the color becomes part of the dough and hands don’t become stained while kneading it. Make no more than 4 cups at a time (small batches are easier to stir). Yields 2 cups.

Recipe Notes: Always make in small batches, as it is hard to stir a double batch. Store in zip lock bags and squeeze out any excess air to prevent the dough from drying out.

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