Play Doh

http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2011/10/magical-playdoh-mix.html

Basically, I just mixed up the dry ingredients for a batch of KoolAid playdoh, then packaged it up with my own set of directions and the cute little printables I found here. I didn't calculate the actual cost per bag, but it was definitely well under a dollar. Not bad considering it makes a pretty decent-sized amount of dough and the kids have the fun of both making and then playing with the playdoh!


Here's what you need: (for one bag)

1 1/3 cups flour
2 packets of unsweetened KoolAid powder ( I decided to use two packets instead of the one I usually do so the color and scent would be a little more vibrant,noticeable and "magical")
1/4 cup salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (in the spices section)

Here's what to do:

1. Mix up your ingredients in a small bowl. I did mine three at a time, assembly-line style since I was making 24 packages for our party.



2. Put the combined ingredients in a bag. I used a ziploc bag and then tied it with some ribbon. Write up the directions and attach it to the bag.

Here are the directions I wrote up:

Magical Playdoh Mix!


To make your playdoh:

Empty this bag into a large bowl.
Have an adult help you boil one cup of water and 1 ½ tbsp. of oil.

Are you ready for the magic?

Carefully pour the boiling water and oil into the powder.

Did the color and scent magically appear?

Stir the mixture with a large spoon until it's mixed and cool enough to handle, then remove it from the bowl and knead it well until it's all the way combined.
(If your mixture is a little too wet or sticky, add some extra flour, a little at a time, until it's the right consistency)
Have fun playing with your new playdoh, then store it in a sealed bag or container until you want to play with it again.

NOTE: Out of the three batches we mixed up, two turned out perfectly, but one was rather wet and sticky. Not sure why that happened (different bag of flour perhaps?), but we just added some more flour a little at a time until the stickiness went away.


Our favor bags (under $1 each, but pretty darn cute)

I packaged up the playdoh mix with swedish fish and goldfish in the favor bags!

They look great and smell even better!

http://fairydustteaching.blogspot.com/2011/05/galaxy-playdough.html

What you will need:
2 cups of plain flour
2 cups of water with black and blue food coloring
1 Tbsp. of cooking oil
1 Tbsp. cream of tartar
1 cup of salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix liquid ingredients in a large pan. (FYI: I found black food coloring in a large size at Big Lots - so I added the entire bottle! I added a small bottle of blue food coloring. It made the dough so deep and rich!) Begin to heat liquids.
In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Add to the heating liquids. Stir until the dough gathers and thickens. Cook until it gets that sheen to it. Let it cool slightly and then knead to bring proper consistency. Store in plastic container.

I put glitter on the table for the children to push into the playdough - creating the galaxy!

I put out an assortment of items for the children to create little space scenes.

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/ocean-play-dough/

Play dough can be an amazing doorway into imaginary lands.

Take a batch of home-made dough - we always use this no-cook play dough recipe - and add in some food coloring to set the scene. Today we went with blue for the ocean.

Provide some props. I like to offer open-ended items – materials that are open to being used in any way the children choose. Shells are the perfect match for an ocean theme, but we’ve also used black play dough and drinking straws for a space theme, herb play dough and pasta to make a pizza parlour and green play dough and garden flowers to make a fairy land.

Add in a child’s imagination. Invite the children to play and see what creative ideas they come up with. The play dough is so versatile they can use it to make a landscape, create model characters or use it to hold props together to build under the sea palaces.

What children learn from play dough

My girls had hours of fun playing with this ocean play dough but I also know there is a lot of learning taking place too.

• fine motor skills get a great workout as the children manipulate the dough – making things easier when they start to write or begin to tie their own shoelaces
  
• they learn to co-operate and get along with friends, by sharing the play materials and coming up with play ideas together
  
• language skills are developed as they narrate their story together and make up voices for the characters
  
• they learn to problem solve and try out new techniques – when the original shell drawbridge design falls over and needs repairing

http://nurturestore.co.uk/flower-play-dough

Garden flower play dough recipe

We started off by picking some flowers and leaves from the garden. We have nasturtiums overflowing everywhere right now. The children have grow them from seed and they are weaving their way out of baskets, over borders and peeping out from nooks and crannies all over the garden. (Followers of our Facebook page will have seem them for sale in the wheelbarrow at our School Gardening Club stall at the summer fair.)

Nasturtiums are great plants for kids: easy to grow, beautifully coloured flowers and interesting leaves, a favourite place for butterflies to lay their eggs, and edible – both leaves and flowers – so a very pretty addition to a plate of salad.

The leaves have a wonderful spicy scent making them a good sensory addition, chopped up and added to a batch of green play dough made using our favourite no cook play dough recipe. http://nurturestore.co.uk/easy-play-dough-recipe-2

Of course once we moved out into the garden the children wanted to add more flowers in the mix: calendulas, chives, cornflowers and wallflowers

Here’s B’s flower world, where she’s used the play dough to create caves for the fairies to live in. All the time she’s using her imagination and telling the tale of her play, she’s also getting the sensory benefit from the texture and smell of the dough and flowers ~ a lovely way to spend some after school time.

L made cakes. ‘If you were are fairy Mummy, this is what you would have for tea.’

http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2012/05/play-dough.html

You will need:

white flour – 1 cup
warm water – 1 cup
salt – 2 tbsp
cream of tartar – 2 tbsp
cooking oil – 2 tbsp
Jello – 1 3oz pack

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan.

Even though it makes for a longer process and a lot more clean up, let the little ones do the measuring and mixing. They learn so much from helping in the kitchen, and it’s really fun for them. Keep mixing until most of the lumps are gone.

Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens into a ball of dough. This step does take a little while. Just keep stirring, you’ll know it’s ready when won’t be able to stir anymore.

Once it has finished cooking, place the dough onto a silpat mat or floured cutting board and wait for it to cool.

Once it is cool (at least 20-30 minutes) let the little ones knead it, adding in flour until it is no longer sticky (about 1/2 cup). At this point, you can add in extra food coloring to make the colors more vibrant, or even add glitter. I like to keep things simple, so this is how it looks with just the Jello.

This recipe makes a lot of play dough. You could easily half the recipe, and there would still be plenty to play with.

When you are finished playing, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will keep for at least a few weeks in the refrigerator, with daily use. If at any time it starts to be a little sticky, just add more flour.

http://tenkidsandadog.blogspot.com/2007/11/i-call-this-photo.html

I tried a new recipe for homemade playdough today, and this is by far the best I have found.
1 Cup Flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
food coloring

Heat the oil in a pot. Remove from the heat and add food coloring and water. Stir in all other ingredients. Continue to cook over low heat until mixture is firm, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, and set clay mixture on wax paper to cool.
Store in an airtight container

http://pinterest.com/pin/224335625160437977/

For Mother's Day. Make easily with
Salt Dough -
2 cups flour,
1 cup salt,
cold water.

Mix until has consistency of play dough. bake at 250 for 2 hours, then cool and paint. Good recipe for thumbprint pendants.