Have you ever heard of magic play dough? With so many of us being home with little ones, we are all looking for ideas to keep them busy. This week I felt inspired to make some homemade play dough and remembered how much fun my class would have when I made magic play dough. It’s SO easy and SO much fun!
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How to Make Magic Play Dough Recipe
First, make your favorite homemade play dough. This one is mine. This recipe is my favorite because it is cheap (AKA it doesn’t need lots of cream of tarter) and it literally take 5-10 minutes. You’ll be able to use this recipe to make magic play dough.
- 2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 3/4 cup salt
- 2 cups of lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- Mix together flour, cream of tarter and salt in the pan you will be cooking in.
- Pour in water and vegetable oil.
- Cook over medium heat and stir the whole time.
- Cook until a dough begins to form and it becomes more of a ball.
- Put the dough ball into a Ziploc bag and knead once cooled.
- PLAY!
Next, divide the dough into smaller balls and use your fingers to create a small well in each ball. Be careful not to turn it into a donut! Add drops of food coloring or sprinkles into each ball and pinch the ball closed. You can also use another piece of play dough to put over the hole. TA-DA! You have made magic play dough! Let your child squish the play dough and watch the magic happen!
A word of caution: Anytime you use food coloring, there is always the risk that it can stain hands. Have your child squish the dough in a ziploc bag or using gloves to prevent any coloring on the hands or use sprinkles or glitter instead! These sprinkles work AMAZING and you can find them just about anywhere! Sprinkles would probably make this too expensive to do with an entire class, but super fun if you are just doing this with your littles at home. There are lots of different safe coloring options on the market now, but I haven’t personally tried enough to recommend them to you!
Magic Play Dough Learning
This activity is so great for language and discussing cause and effect. I created a response sheet specifically for little ones to complete with this activity! They will draw their play dough before and after, discuss what happened and what they can make with the dough. If your little one isn’t writing yet, just use a marker to write down what they tell you! This models for them that their thoughts can be written and shared with others!
Just click HERE and instantly access this free printable . I’ll also send you the password to access dozens of free printable activities from my Free Resource Library! Gift tags are also included in the download in case you want to create some magic play dough for your class, neighbors or friends with little ones! Have fun!
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Easter Play Dough Mats
At Home Activities for Kids
Sticker Activities