Yup, you read that right…The Best + Softest Homemade Playdough Recipe …ever.
After having three boys and a Pinterest account for about 10 years, it’s safe to say I’ve made my fair share of playdough recipes. Playdough is one of my favourite things to give to the boys to keep them busy and creative, and I’ll be honest, I love playing with it too.
After trying a few different methods when making playdough, I prefer boiling the water and then mixing the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. The clean up tends to be easier and I find the dough cools faster in a mixing bowl rather than cooking it all together in a pot. When cooking right on the stove, I also feel like its easier for the playdough to dry out. So I just avoid it.
The secret ingredient is always coconut oil.
I think the secret to my best + softest homemade playdough recipe is using all coconut oil. Typical playdoughs use mostly vegetable oil, but we don’t really use vegetable oil for anything, and I just think coconut oil is better in every way! haha
It keeps the dough extremely soft, not to mention our skin! And it gives the playdough a subtle sweet smell that overpowers any salty smell typical playdoughs have. We buy the large tubs of coconut oil because we use it for cooking, beauty, and creativity. I LOVE coconut oil.
Frizzy hair? Coconut oil. No shaving cream? Coconut oil. Dry skin? Coconut oil. Bad credit? Coconut oil. Kids acting up? Coconut oil.
I don’t know if it’s because of how soft it is, or how vibrant the colours turn out in this playdough, but the boys will play with it for so long! They probably average about 45 minutes a day playing playdough and for a few rowdy boys, that’s saying a lot!
For the colouring, I have found the best way is to use gel food colouring. You don’t need a lot to make the playdough vibrant and bright, and it doesn’t change the consistency of the playdough whatsoever. I also find it super easy to add. No messy coloured water or dying it another way and realizing it isn’t as dark as you’d like but it’s too late to change. After kneading the dough you can add as much or as little as you’d like to your heart’s content.
There are all kinds of ideas on the internet for using playdough as a learning tool. You really can’t go wrong with always having some on hand!
You can always add essential oils to it too for some added loveliness!
Hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you do end up trying it, tag me on Instagram @britstrawbridge! I’d love to share what you and your littles create with my audience!
The Best + Softest Homemade Playdough Recipe
Make your own non-toxic playdough! The best + softest homemade playdough recipe. This recipe is super quick, easy, lasts months & does NOT stain hands!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups water boiled
- 1 1/4 cups salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp cream of tartar
- 5 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 2 1/2 cups flour
Optional
- gel food colouring
Instructions
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Boil water
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In a large mixing bowl stir together salt, cream of tartar + flour
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Carefully add boiled water and coconut oil to mixing bowl
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Stir until dough forms
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Let the dough cool down a little until you're able to knead it with your hands
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Knead dough until smooth
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Separate dough into as many colours as you are creating and add gel food colouring drops to each dough ball and knead the colour into it
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Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
I love the addition of coconut oil! Would never have guessed at all and I make playdough for my LO all the time 😀
OH what great fun! I didn’t know you could make your own play-dough. Can’t wait to try this with the grandkids.
And if my son eats it – THAT IS A-OK! lol! Thanks for the recipe!
This is such a great idea and it is definitely better to make your own than use store bought. I’ve tried a few different recipes before and I guess I just found the next one!
Sounds easy enough! Never tried it with coconut oil But the kids are always letting theirs dry out, so it would be nice to have an easy way to make it at home. Thanks for the recipe.
We love making our own play doh. Our recipe is very similar to yours!
I love the color scheme! Haha. This looks like such a fun recipe and activity to make and play with. My grandchildren are going to love this. Thank you!
I would have never thought to use coconut oil! Great idea to add a lovely smelling oil as well, my kids would love different scented dough.
How cool. We’ll have to do make this for sure. Since we’re indoors, we’re looking for stuff to try!
This looks like a wonderful play-dough recipe. I just pinned it to make for my granddaughter once she is old enough to play with it.
My kids had so much fun making this playdough! Thanks for the great recipe.
I didn’t know you could make your own playdough! I don’t have kids, but I might do this for myself just for fun lol
Looking forward to making this for my family . I know they’re going to love this.
This is exactly what I need for my kid. We are looking for new things to do at home!
Oh I think we need to make playdough this week. What a great recipe for this fun craft
Home made play dough is the best. I can’t even stand the smell of the store bought kind, it makes me gag.
I love this play dough recipe. I need to make it for my daughter she loves playing with play dough.
My kids will love this activity! They love playdough, can’t wait to try this.
Wow! That looks so fun and what a creative way to engage kids during the lockdown!