- Age:3+
- Time:20 min
- Difficulty:Easy
- Mess level:Medium
- Supervision:Yes
Playdough is an amazing toy for your child. It allows for so much creativity and discovery. While touching, squeezing and poking it, playdough provides a wide range of sensory stimulation. We wrote extensively about sensorimotor development and activities that promote it. If you are interested in finding out more fun activities, check out the Sensorimotor activities article.
Playdough is in a category of “mushy” sensory toys. Main modes of play are squishing, stretching and building with it. Also, kids learn that every action has consequences. It develops hand-eye coordination and improves fine motor skills. Because it’s calm activity, it helps your child to release their stress level and helps them to restore balance if they are overstimulated.
So it is a good idea to have some playdough around, and we will show you how to make your own - fast and easy way.
The Science Behind Playdough
Cooking is all about the chemistry! And making playdough is a great example. You have mixtures, solutions, heating and all kinds of interesting chemical reactions taking place.
Including your child in the playdough preparation is a great intro to various chemical ideas. Kids can help measure, mix the ingredients and of course predict and note results. You can explore what is mixture by combining flour and salt - two substances that mix but produce no chemical reaction. Water is amazing solvent - just try mixing it with few drops of food coloring. Now you have the solution! But oil and water don’t mix because oil is a nonpolar molecule. Find out more about that in another fun activity where you can learn how to make a Lava lamp.
Put all that stuff in the bowl and give it a good stir while heating it. Many chemical reactions are happening and the end result is something completely different - a new substance. Flour contains proteins and when they are mixed with water they change their shape and become more stretched. Salt allows this structure to hold its shape and also helps to prevent dough from going bad. Oil also has its role - it gives moisture needed so the substance is not crumbly. Citric acid helps with elasticity. In the end, you get awesome mushy and stretch substance ready for sensory exploration!
Of course, there are more recipes and a fun way to experiment with children is to try different combinations and see how the result differs.
Materials Needed for Homemade Playdough
Flour, salt, oil and food coloring: the whole playdough pantry list.
With some Flour, Water, Salt, Oil and Citric Acid we can make our own playdough.
- 2 Cups of Flour
- 2 Cups of Water
- 1 Cup of Salt
- 1 Spoon of oil
- 2 Teaspoons of Citric acid
- A couple of Food colors
Instructions to make a Homemade Playdough:
For step by step instructions on how you can make your own playdough, watch the video at the beginning of the article or continue reading step by step walkthrough.
👨👧 Adult supervision needed
The mixture is cooked on the stove, so an adult should handle the hot pot and the stove. Let the dough cool from hot down to just warm before children knead and play with it.
- Mix together Flour, Salt and Citric acid in 1 bowl.
- In another pot, put Water and Oil.
- Then put the content of the first bowl in a pot and mix it all together until it becomes a thick mass.
- Now turn on the light fire and continue to mix it for around 4 minutes until it’s not sticky anymore.
- Knead the dough while it’s still warm and split it in as many parts as you want.
- Make a hole in dough and put few drops of food color in it and knead it until it’s evenly colored. For ideas of how to mix colors check the article about mixing colours activity.
- Continue part 6 for every piece of dough you made mixing colors as you wish.
- Congratulations! You just made your own Playdough. Now it’s time to have fun with it!
What will happen to the runny flour-and-water mixture as you heat and stir it?
Make your prediction, then tap an answer to check!
What Will You Develop and Learn
- Creativity and imagination
- Hand-eye coordination
- Fine motor skills
- Chemistry principles
- Scientific method
- Primary and secondary colors
Key takeaways
- Making playdough is hands-on chemistry - mixtures, solutions, and reactions triggered by heat.
- Flour's proteins stretch when wet and set when heated, giving the dough its stretchy texture.
- Salt helps it hold its shape and keeps it from spoiling, oil keeps it soft, and citric acid adds elasticity.
- Water is a great solvent - food colouring dissolves in it, but oil (being nonpolar) does not.
- Knead in primary colours to make secondary ones: blue + yellow = green, red + yellow = orange, blue + red = violet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make homemade playdough?
Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, and 2 teaspoons of citric acid in a bowl. Add this to a pot with 2 cups of water and a spoon of oil, stir over a low heat for about 4 minutes until it stops being sticky, then knead the warm dough and colour it with a few drops of food colouring.
Why do you add salt to playdough?
Salt does two jobs: it helps the dough hold its shape and firm up, and it acts as a preservative that stops mould, so your homemade playdough lasts much longer.
Why does the playdough need to be cooked?
Heating is what turns the loose, runny mixture into proper dough. The warmth makes the flour's proteins change shape and the starch swell and set, binding everything into a soft, pliable, non-sticky ball.
How long does homemade playdough last and how do I store it?
Kept in an airtight container or zip bag, it stays soft for several weeks, and even longer in the fridge. If it dries out a little, knead in a few drops of water or oil to revive it.
Is homemade playdough safe if my child tastes it?
The ingredients are non-toxic, so a small taste is harmless - but it is very salty and really isn't meant to be eaten. Supervise young children and keep it as a play material, not a snack.
Can you make playdough without cooking it?
Yes. No-cook recipes mix flour, salt, oil, and boiling water (added by an adult) straight in the bowl. Cooking on the stove, though, gives a smoother, longer-lasting dough.
