Playing with Play-Doh on National Play-Doh Day

WNCN Today 09.15.14

Today is National Play-Doh day and whether it has been 20 years since you’ve touched a tub of Play-Doh, or your little ones play with it every day, I shared some easy DIY Play-Doh ideas on WNCN Today #TipsonTues this morning:

            Homemade Play-Doh

o   DIY Play-Doh Recipe. Don’t let the idea of making your own Play-Doh overwhelm you; it is as easy as making a box of mac & cheese, honestly. 

1 cup flour

1 cup warm water

½ cup salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ tbsp. cream of tartar

food coloring (optional)

Simply mix all of your ingredients together in a small pot and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until a dough forms and the mixture pulls away from the sides.  Cooking time ~5-10min.  Your play-doh will naturally be a pretty white color.  Kneed in a few drops of food coloring to add a bit of color.

TIP:  Store your Play-Doh in a airtight container to keep it fresh for months to come.  If it happens to get a bit crusty just kneed it for a few minutes.  Feel free to double, or even triple, the recipe if you are feeling ambitious.

All Natural Play-Doh

o   Eco-Dough.  If you aren’t up for making your own Play-Doh, but you do want to make you’re your little ones are playing only with non-toxic, natural ingredients, all you need is some Eco-Dough from Eco-Kids.  This all natural Play-Doh was developed by two parents who were looking for a non-toxic dough for their children to play with.  Eco-Dough is made in Maine and can be found online and at a number of natural toy stores in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. TIP:  Eco-Dough also makes a great stocking suffer for grownups.  A little all natural Play-Doh is perfect for carefree stress relief at the office.

Containing the Mess

o   Cookie Sheet Fun.  Many parents dread the idea of popping open a new tub of Play-Doh for fear that it will end up all over the place.  One easy way to keep your Play-Doh contained is with a cookie sheet from the Dollar Store.  These cookie sheets are super lightweight and allow for the Play-Doh to stick just enough to build on but not enough that cleaning isn’t still a breeze!  TIP:  Be sure to mark your Play-Doh cookie sheets so you don’t accidentally cook with them.

For all of my tips pick up your own copy of my Tips for the Clueless Chick books and follow the Clueless Chick on Facebook and Twitter.  Tune in to #TipsonTues next week to see how easy it is to make your own baby food.

Until next time,
Jennifer
aka Chick #1