Make Your Own Play Dough

A recipe to make your own play dough, instructions for use included. A simple recipe and reusable dough that can keep any creative child busy day after day. This recipe makes around three cups of reusable dough.

Ingredients:
Airtight containers to store your made dough
Food Coloring or poster paints
1 Mixing bowl and spoon
2 ¼ cup of non self rising wheat flour
1 Cup of salt
1 Tablespoon of powdered alum
1 ½ cups of boiling water
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Instructions:
Step One: Mix the flour, alum and salt in a bowl. When the dry ingredients are blended add in the vegetable oil.
Step Two: Carefully stir the boiling water into your mixture. Stir thoroughly until the mixture begins to gain dough like thickness and texture.
Step Three: Knead the dough until it is completely smooth.
Step Four: Divide your play dough into equal sized proportions. The number wholly depends on how many colors you would like to create.
Step Five: Add a few drops of food coloring or poster paint onto each lump of dough. Knead in the coloring, adding more if needed to obtain the desired color. I have been told that unsweetened Kool Aid will work as a coloring as well, but I have not yet tried it so I can not recommend it.
Step Six: Store your play dough in air tight containers to maintain its moisture.

How to Use the Dough:
You can use homemade play dough just like you would the store bought version, only with this you know exactly what is in your child’s hands. If the dough is kept in sealed, air tight containers it will remain flexible and reusable for an extended period of time. However, like most clays and dough it will become hard if allowed to dry out. If you would like to create lasting works of art with your play dough, or are handed a creation that you just cannot smoosh up and put away, you can let the piece air dry and finish with any enamel or paint for a final touch.