Playdough Recipe: How to Make Playdough at Home

Homemade playdough is quick to make with things already in the pantry. This guide covers a cooked recipe, a no cook version, how to store it and what to do when it turns sticky or dry. If you would rather skip the mixing, our playdough sets come with moulds, rollers and tools.

Adults should handle the hot stove, and the dough is for play only, so keep it away from mouths. It is salty and is not food.

Ingredients for homemade playdough

• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• 1/4 cup (about 70g) fine salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup (250ml) water
• A few drops of food colouring (optional)

You will also need a saucepan, a wooden spoon and a clean bench to knead on. For the no cook version below, you will need slightly different amounts.

Cooked playdough method

1. Mix the flour, salt and cream of tartar in a saucepan.
2. Add the oil, water and food colouring, and stir until smooth.
3. Heat gently over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the pan to form a ball. This usually takes a few minutes.
4. Tip the dough onto a clean bench and let it cool until it is comfortable to handle.
5. Knead until smooth and soft.

No cook playdough method

1. Mix 2 cups plain flour and 1/2 cup salt in a bowl.
2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of oil.
3. Add about 3/4 cup of warm water, a splash at a time, mixing as you go. Add food colouring to the water first.
4. Knead for a few minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a little flour, and if it is dry, add a few drops of water.

Let the dough rest for a few minutes after kneading. It will feel a little softer and easier to roll. If you want several colours, divide the batch into balls and knead a few drops of food colouring into each one. Wear an apron or an art smock, because food colouring can mark clothes.

Storing and fixing playdough

Keep playdough in an airtight container or a zip-lock bag so it does not dry out. Homemade dough usually lasts for a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the recipe and storage, so make small batches and refresh them often.

• Dough too sticky? Knead in a little extra flour.
• Dough too dry or crumbly? Knead in a few drops of water or oil to soften it again.
• Colours mixing together? Store each colour in its own container.

Playdough activities to try

• Playdough bakery. Roll, cut and stack dough into cakes and biscuits.
• Snakes and worms. Roll long ropes and coil them into patterns.
• Letter and number shapes. Roll thin ropes and shape them into letters.
• Stamp prints. Press leaves, buttons or toy wheels into flattened dough.

Add household extras for more play. Rolling pins, biscuit cutters, a garlic press and a plastic knife make good tools, and cupcake cases and toy cars add imagination. Always supervise play, and keep small tools and pieces away from mouths.

When a ready-made set is easier

Sometimes you just want to open a box and start. The 12 pack playdough set with moulds includes 12 coloured playdough sticks, 2 moulds and 4 shape making tools. The 16 pack set with roller has 16 coloured sticks, 1 roller and 3 shape making tools. There is also a 4 pack of assorted colours (21cm x 4.5cm x 4cm) and a 12 stick pack with a roller and 3 moulds.

Pair a set with our arts and crafts supplies or a few craft kits for a full rainy-day box.

A ready-made set also suits a holiday bag or a party table, because there is no cooking, no waiting for dough to cool and no kitchen mess. If you are planning activities for a group, set out one set per table and let kids swap tools between tables.