This is by far the easiest playdough recipe I have ever tried. OK, well, it’s true that this is only the second playdough recipe I’ve ever tried, but still — after I used this one, I knew I had a winner. The pluses of making your own playdough? You will recognize all of the ingredients, which you probably already have in your home. You can make more whenever you run out. And most importantly, you don’t have to drag your kid to the store buy more. It’s a win-win for everyone! Oh, and this recipe takes about 5 minutes to make - that’s about an hour less than it would take for me to go buy some at the store! Even the kids can help with the mixing and kneading. Store it in an airtight container and it stays moist through many, many uses.
Recipe
1 cup flour
1 cup boiling water
2 tbsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
1 tbsp. oil
Mix and knead together.
Tipped off By: Cooks.com
Image credit: Pinot & Dita
By Cristina, June 13, 2008
Filed under: DIY, Kids, Play, Tips
Twice a month, Thursday mornings are an exciting time at my house. That’s the day that both the garbage truck and the recycling truck come by to make their curbside collections and my kids race to the front window to watch the action. Thanks to Maple Landmark, now all kids can make every day recycling day with this wooden Montgomery Scoots Recycling Truck. Painted with non-toxic paint and made in Vermont from mostly local (USA) materials, this truck is recommended for ages 2 and up. At 4 inches long, the Montgomery Scoots Recycling Truck makes a fun and green educational addition to any play town.
It may be yellow. It may be cute. But is that rubber ducky in the tub actually rubber? Or some icky PVC facsimile covered in lead paint? I know it’s distressing to think that even the beloved rubber duck has not escaped being tainted by cheap, greedy manufacturers but there’s good news — actual rubber duckies are not yet extinct! Crafted in Spain of sustainable latex rubber and devoid of any toxic paints or phthalates, the Natural Rubber Duck is soft and safe for babies to chew on and even gives a little squeak when squeezed. I’ve already ordered one to replace the not-rubber duck that my daughter used to love to play with before it accidentally disappeared from our bathroom. Not that I would know anything about that. Ahem.
A big part of going green is reducing what we consume and not buying things we really don’t need. In support of buying less stuff and having more fun, the folks at New American Dream have put together a tidy list of ways to have fun without mountains of toys. I actually printed this out (on the back of previously used printer paper, natch) and have it up on my fridge as a reminder of all the cool things we can do when my kids cry boredom. Go check it out and consider getting all retro with some good old-fashioned fun!
Making your own non-toxic play dough is a super fun rainy day activity you can do with your kids:
Putting your hands in paint and squishing it through your fingers has got to be one of the top ten best experiences of toddlerhood. If you’re thinking of getting some fingerpaints for your kids, check out chemical-free, hemp-based Natural Finger Paint for Kids. What you’ll get with each set: 6 glass bottles of paint in white, yellow, red, blue, green and black (paint colors derived from vegetable dyes or all-natural mineral pigments). What you won’t get: heavy metals, VOCs, petro-chemicals or other harmful ingredients. Added at no extra charge: Peace of mind and some awesome refrigerator art.