Organic Playdough Recipe

Making a DIY natural playdough is a fun and simple activity to do with your little one. It is a great non-toxic alternative, and it is cheaper too. It only takes a few ingredients and children will love helping you with this great playdough recipe. You can make this with organic, natural food-based dyes or natural food coloring. I use natural, organic ingredients for our playdough. Your skin is our biggest organ and I feel it’s important especially for children.

Natural Playdough Color

You can use natural food coloring or organic food powders for colors.

I use organic food-based powders because it is easy (who doesn’t like easy!?) and shelf-stable. I’ve tried boiling down fruits and vegetables but it generally takes longer than I want to spend. Powders are so simple! You literally add it to your water and mix.

I most often use organic beetroot powder to color our playdough. It’s a pretty pink color. Other options are organic:Tumeric, spinach and spirulina.

Organic Playdough Instructions

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 teaspoons non-gmo cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon of any food-based oil 
• 1 cup of warm water
• Coloring: food-based powder (1-2 teaspoons) or natural food coloring (5 drops). 

Instructions:

1. Mix dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cream of tartar) in a pot.
2. Add food coloring of your choice to the warm water and mix well.
3. Add oil and colored water to the dry ingredients. Stir well.
4. Heat the mixture slowly on the stove over low to medium heat. Stir or whisk dough often while on the stove. It will eventually start pulling away from the sides and clump into a ball (and start to look like playdough). This process takes just several minutes.
5. Once the dough has cooled, remove it from the pot and kneed it. Then it is ready for play!

Store playdough in a mason jar in the refrigerator and it will last months. 

Nicole Smith