Homemade Playdough

This recipe is simple and takes about 20 minutes to make. Makes about 3 good size balls of dough and lasts through many uses.

You'll need:

-2 cups flour

-1 cup salt

-1 Tbsp oil (olive,vegetable,canola)

-3/4 cup water

-food coloring

Mix flour and salt. Add oil and water slowly, and mix well. It will seem too dry while mixing, but I assure you, keep kneeding the dough, more water will make it too stick. Continue kneeding dough for 10-15 min. Seperate into 1/3's, or 1/4's if you want smaller balls or more colors. I used food coloring gel, but I am sure that and food coloring will work. Work coloring through the dough till well blended.

Just like store-bought playdough, it can leave a residue(on your hands and surfaces), so we used a large cookie sheet to play on.

This is a great sensory learning activity for your toddlers. We also used it to practice our colors and shapes.

Karter just turned 2 and I have been hesitant to do this activity as he still has to taste-test everything. But it didn't taste so good and he spit it out. Lol. If your little one does get curious, it is all safe ingredients and wont harm your child.

To store dough, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge. Let it sit out for a few minutes before next use.

I also suggest for young ones, watch at all times. I turned my back for a few minutes and Karter decided he wanted the dog to play too. Well, dog ate it and puked it up all over my rug. Yuck!

Water Painting

This is a fun activity when it's hot outside. Play and be creative and cool down at the same time.

Fill up a bucket or container(in my case, I used a pot) with water and put your child in a swimsuit or clothes that you don't mind getting wet and let them have at it!

They can fingerpaint with the water or give them paintbrushes to draw with the water. Even give them rags or sponges and they can wash the deck.



He made handprints with the water.

Needed to cool off. Haha!

Karter Loves the water, so this was a fun activity for him. I kept refilling the pot and he played like this for hours!

Let's Paint

I bought a pack of tempura paint at Wal-Mart for 5 bucks, poured the paint in individual containers, squeezed a little bit of dish soap in each one(to make clean-up just a little bit easier), and we went to town on the windows.

I had to get in on the fun!

He did some finger painting, as well.

Our finished product. :)

Used the rest of the paint in the tub before washing up.

The dish soap makes it super easy to clean up. This was such a fun activity that we do it quite often. We even did it as an activity for his 2nd birthday. I always leave the artwork on the windows up for a few days before cleaning it off.

Play In Flour

As mothers, it is in our nature to shy away from anything that could cause a mess. I suggest you push past that fear and let your kids have some fun and live a little. You will have to clean anyway, so before you need to mop those floors, pull out some flour, a tray or container, and strip your kids down to their diaper.

Pour some flour on a tray and let them explore it.

Karter got a little crazy and poured it all o n the floor and drew in it with his hands. He jumped in it, ran through and made litte flour footprints everywhere, and threw it in the air to make it rain flour.

By the end of it, he was covered from head to toe. He absolutely loved this! He was completely entertained for a good hour.

Clean up is a breeze- sweep up the flour and clean floor as you normally would. Throw kid in the tub, and VOILA! Hours of pure joy making messes and sensory learning with an easy breezy clean up.