16 kid friendly play dough recipes you can make right at home and some are edible! Great crafts for kids in the classroom or for a rainy day activity.
Every child loves it so creating a list of kid friendly play dough recipes was on my list of things to do! It’s a great rainy day activity for kids and fun to create in the classroom too with Preschool children or toddlers at home. (originally published 9/18, affiliate links present)
Play Dough Ideas
Who doesn’t love play dough? It’s mesmerizing to play with. It can be shaped into any object, molded into anything the imagination can think of and be used over and over again to create non-stop memories.
Even adults find themselves enjoying it as well. The awesome part of making play dough is that it is fairly simple, and inexpensive, to make. It takes a few moments to create but keeps children occupied with fun for hours on end.
It’s great for sensory learning and the perfect way for children to create anything that their minds can think of. So many stories, projects, and ideas have been shaped from play dough.
We will start with our scented playdough that is simple to make and smells amazing. You can use vanilla or essential oils to scent it like lavender or peppermint!
If you’ve even bought play dough from the store, it’s time to start thinking about making the transition into creating your own homemade play dough. Save yourself the trip to the store and just make it right in the comfort of your home.
- Most ingredients to make playdough recipes are wet and dry ingredients that we tend to already have at home!
Homemade playdough recipes
Play Dough for Toddlers
- Flour
- don’t use wheat flour
- Cream of tartar
- Water and Salt
- Some use vegetable oil
- Vanilla or Essential Oils if you want to make it scented
- food colors can be used but will stain your hands
- Marshmallows or Frosting if you want to make it edible and super soft
- Wax paper or cutting board to play with it on
Kid friendly play dough recipes
- Dairy Free, Non-Toxic Edible Play dough. Sometimes…that play dough gets eaten, right? Why not make it edible, to begin with?
- Non-Sticky Play dough! Did you know that playdough doesn’t have to be sticky?
- Sick Day Peppermint Play dough. Looking for a way to clear up your little one’s sinuses while still getting that sensory play in for the day? This play dough recipe may be a great option for you.
- Apple Scented Play dough. If you’re craving fall, this play dough is a must!
Homemade Playdough without Cream of Tartar
- Bubble Bath Play dough! Playdough to play with in the tub that dissolves in the water? Yes please.
- Super Easy Flour and Water Based Play dough. This only takes a few moments to make, and is super simple to whip up!
- All-Natural Gluten-Free Play dough. Safe for children with celiac and safe for all ages as well!
- Kool-Aid Play dough! Have fun choosing the kool-aid color, without the kool-aid stain! Smells great, looks awesome and stain-free playdough!
When you have that out, make some Kool Aid paint too!
Playdough Recipe for Preschool
- Gingerbread Play dough. Talk about some sweet-smelling playdough!
- Homemade Play dough that stays fresh for months. If you are looking for playdough that will last for a while, this may be the recipe for you! If stored correctly, it can last for months!
- 2 Ingredient edible Play dough. Yes, you read that right…only 2 ingredients for this awesome play dough recipe! Fewer ingredients equal less mess, right?!
- Marshmallow play doh is fun and easy to make. This edible playdough uses Peeps which is fun.
- Chocolate playdough is fun, smells wonderful, and made with pudding so it is great for toddlers that tend to put their hands in their mouths. 😉
Not only can playdough be molded to make fun objects, but it can be used to stick on paper to transfer words and print or even used as a way to learn as well.
- Try this with our homemade silly putty recipe here too.
A great way to combine play dough and learning is by using cookie cutters that are numbers or shapes and having your child then use those cookie cutters to spell out words or add up numbers for fun math.
- It’s a great tool to use in math by breaking into pieces for addition and subtraction or to help learn about geometry and shapes that can be made.
Another bonus is that if the play dough is stored properly, it can last a long time as well. Talk about a great way to get more bang for your creative buck!
Have fun trying each and every recipe above and see which you like best! Creating and making the play dough is just about as much fun as being able to play with it!
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