Easy Spring DIY: Non-Toxic Play Dough
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Happy spring break to all my fellow parents in the same boat! I hope you’re able to enjoy some extra quality time with your family. My son Quinn and I have been enjoying lots of springtime crafts, visiting our neighbour’s bunnies, and looking at the beautiful cherry blossoms!
Since it’s a two-week break here in British Columbia, I wanted to brainstorm as many eco-friendly activities as I could for you to do with your kids. I recently posted a round-up of 6 ideas on the blog, so if you haven’t already seen that, you can check it out here!
This week I found yet another fantastic activity that I had so much fun making, I couldn’t help but share today as well! For anyone with young kids who enjoy sensory dough, here is the perfect homemade recipe so you can whip up a batch yourself. Keep reading for the Easter-themed, non-toxic, DIY play dough we’re obsessed with right now!
I love giving my two-year-old sensory dough to play with not only because it’s so fun, but also because of the many benefits for his development. Play dough is amazing for enhancing fine motor skills, as well as hand-eye coordination. It helps to strengthen muscles in kids' hands, so they can use them for writing, drawing, cutting, etc.! On top of this, sensory dough helps to spark creativity and imagination, and it's calming to use. I'm all for anything that fosters and supports my son's curiosity!
Now, to take it up a notch: turning play dough into Easter egg shapes with the brightest springtime colours. What parent wouldn’t want a DIY for both spring break and Easter (for those who celebrate) that’s non-toxic and made of food-safe ingredients?! This recipe was so easy and was a huge hit with Quinn — but I think I might be an even bigger fan, hah! As someone focused on keeping my home as natural as possible, I feel so much better knowing that I can guarantee the dough he plays with is toxin-free.
A batch of this dough should take you about 10 minutes to make (one batch per colour) and can be stored for up to 6 months in reusable glass jars or silicone bags (best not in the fridge). You will love the feel of this dough, no more crumbly dough everywhere! I shared how I got my colours in the recipe below, but you can choose and experiment with your own palette, of course!
You’ll need these ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar (you may need to try a few stores to find this!)
1/3 cup table salt
1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
Gel food colouring:
Blue: 2 drops
Yellow: 1 drop (for more of a cream colour) or 2 drops (for yellow)
Green: 1 drop
Pink: 3 drops
Here’s how to make non-toxic, spring coloured play dough:
1. Add flour, cream of tartar and salt to a 2-quart saucepan.
2. Add desired number of food colour drops to water, then stir into the flour mixture along with vegetable oil. (See specific drops we used for spring colours above)
3. Heat your burner to medium low. Cook and stir your dough in the saucepan until it begins to solidify. Don’t worry if there are lumps! This process may take less than a minute or up to three minutes, depending on how hot your stove is.
4. Keep stirring your mixture as the dough thickens. It will probably still be a bit lumpy! Stir until the dough starts to gather together around the spoon. Again, depending on your stove, this might take less than a minute or about two minutes.
5. Remove your dough from the saucepan and let cool.
6. Squish and knead your homemade dough while it’s still warm to work out the lumps and keep the colour as sharp as possible.
7. Roll into egg shapes and place in an egg carton (I love my reusable one from Millstone Farm and Organics!) for a beautiful Easter craft or gift!
Whether or not you celebrate Easter or are on spring break right now, I hope this recipe inspires you to try making your own play dough as you continue on your own sustainable home journey. One step at a time, right? Speaking for myself, I’m definitely going to make this again, knowing it’s simple, fun and made of clean ingredients!
Thanks so much for reading — I’m wishing you all a colourful, peaceful start to spring. Until next time!
