I love homemade playdough for two reasons. Number one is that I know exactly what is in it and number two being the fact that it’s so cheap and easy to make that I don’t mind throwing it away after they are done paying. It never fails that with the store bought playdoh we end up with four containers, three of which contain a gray brown mixed color of playdoh and one of which is totally empty and is probably being used as a weapon against sisters.
It takes five minutes at most to whip up a batch of homemade playdough. The worst part for me though is the smell. Because you use heated oil it always smells like a fried chicken place in my house after I make a batch. So the other day when I was in the store and saw the coconut oil I knew I had to try it.
Today I made playdough using coconut oil.
The finished playdough only has a slight hint of coconut. I would not call it “coconut scented” however my house smelled wonderful while I was making the playdough and that is more than worth it. Plus I love the fact that when my kids are playing with the playdough they are getting a healthy dose of coconut oil naturally rubbed into their skin, much better than vegetable oil in my opinion. I tried three different made up recipes but the best one was the timeless playdough recipe that I always use with the only change being swapping out the oils. I hope you go CocoNUT over this playdough. (Sorry I couldn’t resist).
If you don’t have coconut oil than you can use any cooking oil.
Coconut Oil Playdough
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp. cream of tartar
- gel food coloring
Heat oil in a saucepan on low heat until you start to smell the wonderful coconut smell.
Dump the rest of the ingredients into the pan and start stirring.
It will quickly come together.
Stir until it forms a ball and then remove from heat.
Let the ball of playdough cool on a plate or mat for a few minutes.
Cut into sections and knead gel color into each section until you reach the desired shade.
Voila’.
Add cookie cutters and rolling pins to the mix.
Now you have the recipe for ten minutes of peace and quiet.
You’re welcome.
If you’re looking for other fun craft ideas for kids, here are a few of my favorites:
Pool Noodle Monsters Whimsical Character Art Easy Snake Craft
I don’t know what kind I used to make when I was little, but it must have had a lot of salt in it, because I used to like to eat it. I remember trying to sneak bites of it when no one was looking 🙂
you are so funny. I think pretty much everyone ate playdoh. I’m going to worry more about the people who claim they didn’t eat it rather than those who admit it. 🙂
How do you store this?
I usually just store in a tupperware container or ziplock bag. It doesn’t have to be refrigerated but I’ve found that it stays softer if you do.
doesn’t the food colouring stain their hands?
Once it is stirred into the playdoh it won’t stain the hands. 🙂
This Is GREAT For Kids Because Its Edible! I Love That You Can Give It To Small Children and NOT Have To Worry!
Can you use regular food coloring with this? It’s all I have.
Yes regular should be fine!
Is the cream of tartar necessary?