Frosting Clay by Kathryn Martinez
This is really fun clay. And yes, it’s edible, making for even more fun! It makes a rather stiff dough that can be easily molded into almost any shape. Let the kids create their own cake toppers. Or, model something that goes along with a thematic unit and that can be used at a culminating activity.
Ingredients:
1 container of prepared frosting
1 cup confectioners’ sugar (aka powdered sugar)
Directions:
1. Empty the prepared frosting into a mixing bowl.
2. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until a stiff dough is formed.
You can mold the “clay” at this point. You may eat it right away, or allow to dry for fancy cake toppers. The “clay” is even stiff enough to form edible roses, foliage, etc.
FROSTING DOUGH
1 Can Frosting Mix
1 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
1 C. Peanut Butter
Mix all ingredients in bowl with spoon, knead into workable dough. Model as with any dough.
Cheese Clay by Kathryn Martinez
Of all the playdoughs and clays that I have made, this has gotten some the biggest “hurrays” when snack time comes around. Children love to play with their food. Just make sure they’ve washed their hands very well before they start this project.
Materials:
10 saltine crackers
1 small container of processed cheese
½ gallon Ziploc bag
Directions:
1. Place the crackers in the Ziploc bag and zip shut.
2. Crush the crackers to fine crumbs. This is easily done if you use a rolling pin.
3. Empty the cheese in the a mixing bowl.
4. Add enough of the cracker crumbs to make a clay consistency once you have thoroughly mixed them up.
The color of this clay makes it a particularly suited for fun fall/autumn crafts/snacks/activities.
Marzipan Clay by Kathryn Martinez
Marzipan is a confection that dates back to about the middle Ages. This is a easy version of that can be used to create your own model confections. This clay is both pliable yet strong enough that your sculptures can be quite detailed. You can also “paint” the clay with food coloring or colored sugar powder.
Colored sugar powder is made by pulverizing color sugar crystals. You can do this by hand with a plastic bag and rolling pin; or, you can process the colored crystals in a small food processor until it is ground as fine as you would like it.
Supplies:
1 can (8 ounces) almond paste (found in baking section of grocery store)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
2 T. light corn syrup
Directions:
1. Break the almond paste into smaller pieces and place in a bowl.
2. Gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar and light corn syrup.
3. Knead on wax paper until smooth.
4. Mold clay.
5. Let the shapes dry to the touch before eating.
Granola Clay by Kathryn Martinez
This is really fun and easy. All ages seemed to like this project. Its also a healthy snack!
Ingredients:
½ cup maple-flavored syrup
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky style)
2 cups instant dry (aka powdered) milk
1 cup granola
Directions:
1. Combine the syrup and peanut butter in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the instant milk and granola.
3. Knead the mixture until it is reasonably “smooth.”
You can then form and eat your snack.
In the winter you can build “snowmen” indoors by rolling the clay in shredded coconut.
Tissue Paper Bead Clay by Kathryn Martinez
This clay is very easy to work with. The beads can be strung together. Use only one color tissue paper in each batch because water makes the dye run.
Materials:
1 ½ cups shredded tissue paper
1 cup boiling water
½ cup flour
Directions:
1. Combine the tissue paper and boiling water.
2. Let stand for several hours.
3. Drain off the water.
4. Stir in the flour a bit at time. Towards the end you will probably have to knead the remaining flour in.
5. Mold the clay around a drinking straw or stick to make beads.
6. Let the beads dry.
7. Remove the straws or sticks and paint the beads if you would like.
8. You may also spray the beads with an acrylic gloss to make them a little more waterproof.
Sand Clay by Kathryn Martinez
When this clay dries, it resembles real rock. It is hard and grainy. Depending on the color of sand you use you can make different affects … use white sand for a beach sandcastle. Use gray sand to create a granite look. Use yellow sand to look like sandstone. You can even add powdered tempera paint for some really outrageous colors. Lots of fun and full of creative potential!
Supplies:
1 ½ cups of sand
1 teaspoon alum
½ cup of cornstarch
¾ cup of boiling water
powdered tempera paint for color (optional)
stove or heating source
pot
mixing spoon
Directions:
1. Combine the sand, alum, and cornstarch in the pot.
2. Add the boiling water and powdered tempera (optional ingredient).
3. Heat at medium temperature until it thickens.
4. Cool and model the clay.
5. Air-dry for several days.
Pearly Clay by Kathryn Martinez
The clay is very translucent when it is soft and maintains most of that once it is dry. As far as a clay goes, it stores well in an airtight container. If left out, it will dry within 24 hours.
Supplies:
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup cornstarch
Directions:
1. Pour the salt into the boiling water.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch and the cold water.
3. Add the cornstarch mixture to the salt solution.
4. Cook over low heat, while stirring continuously.
5. When mixture becomes like a stiff cookie dough, remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. After cooling, knead until the clay is pliable.
You may now mold it into your desired shape(s). You can let you shapes harden by themselves or bake them in a 200-degree oven for one hour.
Chocolate Fudge Clay by Kathryn Martinez
This is one for all you chocoholic moms!!
I was rather dubious when I first tried this. I'm thinking ... like a mom naturally ... that this is just going to be a big mess, so rich that they won't eat it. Wrong! The peanut butter actually helps cut down on the "richness" of the chocolate frosting.
Ingredients:
1 Tub Chocolate Frosting
1 1/2 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
1 Cup Peanut Butter (creamy)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. You can add a little more confectioner's sugar (aka powdered sugar) if it is still too runny. Add less if it seems to be getting too thick. Shape and Eat.
While not quite as stiff as your typical clay, you can use this to make decorations for cakes and such. Just let them sit for a bit and they get stiffer.
Glue-Shampoo Dough by Kathryn Martinez
Here’s a really fun dough … another new one on me, but really flexible. This dough is great for making coil pots and vases. You don’t have to cook this dough, not for the preparation stage or for the drying stage. When the projects are complete, just air dry to finish.
Materials:
½ cup white glue
1/3 cup shampoo
1 ½ cups flour
Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Knead while in bowl to make a smooth dough.
3. Model the dough. Is a really great dough for the coil method.
4. Let objects dry for 1 or 2 days to finish, depending on thickness.
5. You can paint the completely dried projects.
Coffee Grounds Play dough by Kathryn Martinez
I found this mixture hard to believe, but its great. What to do with the old coffee grounds can be a problem, unless you compost them. Here is a good recycling use for them and your kids will have a blast. There is no milk proteins or solids in this recipe so it is great for kids with milk allergies.
SUPPLIES:
2 cups used, dry coffee grounds
½ cup salt
1 ½ cups of cornmeal, plain – not self-rising
warm water
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Add enough warm water to moisten ingredients.
This dough has a very unique texture. Its great for rolling, patting, and pounding … which is great for little ones. Since you are using USED coffee grounds, there shouldn’t be any problem with staining. The cornmeal should absorb any remaining coffee coloring.
Little ones seem intrigued by how this feels on their hands vs. how store-bought play dough feels. Because you control the moisture content you can make this as dry or as damp as you would like.
Salad Dressing Play dough
I'm always on the look out for something new, fun, and inexpensive to do or make with the kids. Heard about this one and just had to try it. This dough is on the oily side. Its not for drying or saving; but, it is fun to play with while it lasts.
Materials:
1 cup salt
3 cups flour
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
Directions:
1. Combine all of the ingredients.
2. Knead and sculpt.
Soap Clay
This clay is kind of shiny. You can add color if you would like or leave it white to simulate snow. It can be shaped into fancy soap and then given as a gift.
Ingredients/Materials:
¾ cup powdered laundry soap*
1 teaspoon warm water
mixing bowl
mixing spoon
electric mixer
Directions:
1. Mix the soap powder and water in the bowl.
2. Beat with the mixer until it feels like clay.
3. Sculpt the clay into desired shapes and allow to harden.
*Use only laundry soap, not laundry detergent. Brands of this include Ivory Snow and Dreft. Check the soaps recommended for baby’s clothes.
Edible Spice Playdough
This "playdough" is a real treat. You can make small shapes and then fry them in oil for a delicious snack.
The recipe is fast and simple enough that the kids need only minimal supervision; however, close supervision needs to occur when frying their creations up.
Frying time will be dependent on thickness of shape.
Ingredients:
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/3 cup Water
4 tablespoons Salad Oil
Directions:
1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Add water and oil.
3. Knead until dough sticks and forms a ball.
4. Shape and then fry in hot oil.
Hint: Try and not make the shape too complicated or they will not turn out. Again, frying time is dependent on how thick or thin the shape is.
CLEAN MUD
3 full rolls of toilet paper (have the kids help unroll it)
Warm water (Add enough to saturate)
1 bar of Ivory Soap (grate the entire bar)
1/3 cup of Borax
Put it into a large container (one that has a top that fits airtight). Mix with hands. If you keep this in an airtight container it will keep for several days. The children LOVE it!
Very Good Play-do
2 C flour
1 C salt
1 Tbl cream of tarter
2-3 Tbl oil (I used 2 Tbl of olive oil...out of veggie oil)
Add 1/2 tsp cake decorating food color to 2 C boiling water. Add boiling water and food coloring to flour mixture. Stir well (once it cools down enough, you'll want to knead with your hands). Cool. Store in a ziploc bag. Playdough may appear sticky, but resist adding flour and allow mixture to cool and for the flour to absorb the water.
Note: To boil the water, I just put my 2 C Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave with a pinch of salt to facilitate the boiling. Also, I am sure you can use any kind of food coloring, but the stuff I had was a thicker, gel-like, and it seemed to color the dough better than regular food coloring.
My boys played with this for several hours, so it was well worth using my last bit of salt. I stored it in a butter tub, rather than a Ziplock baggie. While it was warm, and the lid would bubble a bit, I'd "burp" it to let out the excess air.
How To Use Clay
Keep the clay tightly covered when it's not in use. While you're working, keep the clay moist by dipping your hands into water. When you model an object, try to squeeze it into shape. If you must stick two pieces of clay together: mix some clay with water until you've made a liquid-like clay called a 'slip'. Paint surfaces of clay with this slip before you attach them together. Smooth joints with a wet finger. Allow finished object to dry for a few days before painting with tempera paints or shellac. Roll clay into coils-shape figures-press slabs together to make a box-roll balls into animals-make jewelry-press coil on top of clay slabs-scratch on clay
Glue Clay
3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup white glue
1/4 cup thick shampoo
Combine all & knead. Add flour if needed. Roll out, shape, or cut designs. Can be painted when dry.
Gluey Dough 1 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch
½ cup white glue
½ cup water
Mix flour, cornstarch and glue. Slowly add just enough water to make dough. Knead until soft and pliable.
CINNAMON APPLESAUCE HEARTS
1 lb jar sweetened applesauce
8 oz cinnamon
Drain 1# jar of SWEETENED applesauce overnight (you will be amazed how much water seeps out!!) Add 8 ounces of cinnamon to this and mix together well. Pat into a ball, press hard to solidify and mix. Then pat out in 1-cup units onto wax paper, push to 1/4" thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Poke a hole in the top with toothpick Turn over and dry in a warm place for several days. Then hang a ribbon through the hole, use as decoration or a kind of sachet.
GINGERBREAD PLAY DOUGH
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Food coloring (equal parts of red and green make brown)
Allspice
Cinnamon
Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients. Add allspice and cinnamon (lots --- play until you find the amount you like) for a wonderful scent. In another bowl, add food coloring to water (the color blends better this way.) Add colored water and oil to dry ingredients and stir. In a pot, cook the mixture for two to three minutes, stirring frequently. Knead the dough until it becomes soft and smooth. Allow to cool and store in an air tight container (ie, tupperware.)
Try different colors and scent combinations. Unsweetened Kool-Aid can be used in place of allspice and cinnamon. Almost daily we use a batch of this dough that I made last September. It has a much nicer consistency and doesn't dry out like commercial play dough. It's fun to add this to your program in conjunction with a unit on The Gingerbread Man.
Glarch
Note:Some people call it Gak (it resembles the Nickelodeon "Gak" you can buy at the store)--with Elmer's glue, water and Borax. I make it white and the kids color it with markers, and it's a surefire rainy-day hit! You can also color it with food coloring and cut it w/ scissors, etc. When colored w/ markers by 2-year-olds, it quickly turns slate-gray or brown and then isn't very attractive, but it's cheap and easy to make another batch.
You need:
2 cups white glue
1-1/2 c. water at room temp.
1 c. hot water
2-1/2 Tbsp. Borax
2 mixing bowls
mixing spoons
Thoroughly blend glue and room-temp water. In larger bowl, combine hot water and Borax, stirring until Borax is dissolved. Slowly pour glue mixture into Borax mixture, stirring constantly. Turn out and knead until it isn't sticky anymore. Will keep for weeks in a tightly covered container in the fridge.
Gak
Ingredients:
2 cups glue
1 1/2 cups water
Food Coloring - as desired - (blue not recommended)
2 - 3 tsps. Borax or Borateem diluted in 1/2 cup very warm, not hot water
Directions:
Mix 1 1/2 cups water with 2 cups glue and set aside. Mix 2 - 3 teaspoons Borax with 1/2 cup water. Add borax mixture to glue mixture. Food coloring is optional.
KOOL - AID PLAY DOUGH
2pkg.-unsweetened Kool-aid
2c. hot water
1TB. vegetable oil
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. salt
1 ts. cream of tarter
Mix 2 pkg. of unsweetened Kool-aid with hot water until dissolved. Add vegetable oil to kool-aid water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, cream of tartar. Add kool-aid water to dry ingredients and mix well. Add 2 - 3 additional cups of flour as needed. Store in air-tight container.
Kool-aid Playdough
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 pkg unsweet Kool-aid
2 tbsp. cream of tartar
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp. veg oil
Combine all dry ingredients in saucepan. Add water and oil. Stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until it forms a ball. Work with your hands until cool. It's great! Smells Awesome!
KOOL-AID PLAY DOUGH W/ ALUM
2 1/2 C. Flour
1 Tbl Alum
1/2 C. Salt
3 Tbl Vegetable oil
2 C. Boiling Water
1 Pkg Unsweetened Kool-aid
Combine Flour, Alum, Salt, add Oil, Boiling Water. Stir or kneed to mix.
Add food coloring or before liquids, add a package of unsweetened Kool-aid for color and scent.
Fruity Putty
0.3 ounce pkg. sugar free fruit flavored gelatin
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 Tbs. Cream of Tartar
2 cups boiling water
2 Tbs. Cooking Oil
Mix dry ingredients in saucepan. Add the boiling water & oil. Stir over med.
Heat until mixture forms a ball. Dump on wax paper. Cut the fruit picture from the box & glue it to the lid you use to store it in.
Funclay 1
Water colors, tempera paints, wax paper, 1 cup salt, ½ cup cornstarch, 1 cup boiling water, pan, wet cloth Process: Mix all ingredients in a pan, Boil to a soft ball stage, Knead on wax paper until dough-like. Wrap in wet cloth to keep for a few days. By holding a lump of clay in hands, pull out the clay to make legs or arms and head and tail. Let animals dry and then paint.
Variations:
Make free-form designs. Make ornaments for holidays or birthdays. Smooth, white dough - good for making animals.
Funclay 2
1 cup cornstarch, 2 cups salt, 11/3 cups cold water, paint, pan, bowl, spoon, plastic bag
Process:
Put salt and 2/3 cup water in a pan and boil. Mix cornstarch with remaining water in bowl and stir well. Add salt mixture to cornstarch mixture in bowl. Knead. Model or mold clay and let dry several hours. Paint when dry, if desired. Hint:
Makes 3 cups. Keep unused clay in a covered container, or plastic bag in refrigerator. Dries in several hours good for younger children.
Funque
1 cup of cornstarch
1 cookie tray
Approx. 1/4-cup water with a spoon.
Mix together the cornstarch & water to make a thick liquid. This is awesome!
Cotton Ball Dough
1 cup flour
3/4 to 1 cup water
1 bag of cotton balls (any color)
Mix flour and water together until you get a smooth paste. Dip the cotton balls into the paste. Form into desired shapes. Place on cookie sheet and cook at 325 for 1 hour until lightly brown and hard. Let cool. Paint creations with tempera paint.
Crepe Paper Clay
1 ½ cups torn crepe paper pieces
1 ½ cups water
½ cup flour
- Let torn paper soak in water overnight
- Drain off water
- Mix in flour and knead like dough
- Mold the mixture into shapes or spread the 'clay' over a form made from cardboard or wire
B> COOKED FINGER PAINT 1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
2 cups boiling water
In a saucepan, mix cornstarch and water until it becomes a smooth paste. Soak 1 pkg. unflavored gelatin with 1/4 c. water. Set aside. Pour 2 c. boiling water slowly over cornstarch mixture and stir. Cook mixture over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture boils and becomes clear. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin mixture. Let cool and store in small screw top jars. Add color as desired. Store in refrigerator.
COOKED PLAY CLAY 1
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Water
2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/4 cup Salt
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Food Coloring
Waxed Paper
In medium saucepan, mix all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When dough becomes harder to stir and gathers on spoon (about 5 min.) Dump onto waxed paper, cool until able to handle and knead 10-15 times until smooth. Store in sealed container, keeps up to two weeks.
COOKED PLAY CLAY 2
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Salt
1 tsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
Food Coloring
In medium saucepan, mix all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cool until able to handle and then knead on a floured surface. Store in sealed container, keeps for 2 to 4 weeks.
Dough - It – Again
Materials: dry yeast, 1 egg, honey, water, salt, flour, shortening, bowl, waxed paper, spoon, oven, hot pads, cookie sheet, measuring cups, shellac and brush Procedure: Sprinkle, 1 package of dry yeast into 1 ½ cups of very warm water. Stir to dissolve yeast. Mix in egg, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup shortening, 1 t. salt. Stir in flour, a little at a time. (About 5 cups of flour). Knead the dough 5 minutes on waxed paper. On a cookie sheet, shape the dough into a large figure or some small ones. Make only flat figures, and remember that the dough will grow. Cover and let rise in warm place 25 min. Bake 20 min. 350 degrees, then eat or shellac when cool.
COOKED PLAY DOUGH 1
Food Coloring
2 cups of water
2c. flour
1c. salt
2TB. oil
1TB. cream of tarter
Mix food coloring with water. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, oil, and cream of tartar. Add colored water to dry ingredients and mix. Cook mixture over medium heat until spongy. Let cool. Store in an air-tight container.
COOKED PLAYDOUGH 3
1 cup of flour
1 cup of water
1 T. of oil
1 T. alum
1/2 cup salt
2 T. vanilla
Food coloring for desired intensity
Mix all dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and color. Divide into balls and work in color by kneading.
Cornmeal Dough
1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water
Mix all ingredients together, add more water to make the mixture cling. This dough will keep up to six weeks in an airtight container.
Cornstarch Art
Combine 3 T Cornstarch with 1/4 C of cold water in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Add two drops of dishwashing liquid. Pour 1 C boiling water into the bowl and stir until the mixture thickens. Add food coloring and let cool. Use as you would finger paint.
Cornstarch Clay
Ingredients:
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups salt
1 1/3 cups cold water
Directions:
1. Put salt and 2/3 cup water in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Mix cornstarch with remaining water and stir well.
3. Blend these 2 mixtures together and knead into clay. Makes 3 cups.
4. Mold the clay into various shapes or objects and let dry (takes several hours)
5. Paint them when they are dry, if you wish
6. Unused clay must be kept in a covered jar or plastic bag in the refrigerator, to be used another day.
Glue Dough
1 cup Flour
1 cup Cornstarch
1/4 cup Water
1/2cup White Glue
Extra Flour (for hands)
In bowl, mix flour, cornstarch While mixing, slowly add water until dough just begins to form a ball. Flour hands lightly. Knead dough until workable. (Dries hard in 48 hours. Stores in refrigerator. Keeps about 2 weeks.)
Finger Painting Goop
1-1/4 cups hot Tap Water
2/3 cups Instant Mashed Potatoes
1 tsp. Powdered Tempera Paint
In a small bowl, mix instant potatoes into hot tap water. Add powdered tempera; Mix well until paint is smooth. Keeps for 1 week in tightly covered container. For a more slippery mixture, add 1/2 cup Liquid Starch after you have mixed all of the other ingredients together.
Cornstarch Clay #1
Materials:
1 cup baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
2/3 cup warm water
food coloring
saucepan
1. Mix the baking soda and cornstarch into the saucepan
2. Add the food coloring to the water and stir until all the lumps are gone
3. Cook until the mixture boils over medium heat (mixture should look like mashed potatoes)
4. Knead when cool
Cornstarch Clay #2
Materials:
½ cup of salt
½ cup of hot water
½ cup of cold water
½ cup of cornstarch
1. Mix salt and hot water and bring to a boil in the saucepan
2. In the bowl, stir the cold water into the cornstarch
3. Add cornstarch mixture to boiling salt water and stir
4. Cook over low heat
5. Stir until the mixture looks like pie dough
6. Cool and knead
Cornstarch Clay #3
Materials:
Food coloring
1 cup of salt
½ cup of cornstarch
1 cup of boiling water
Saucepan
1. Mix the food coloring into the hot water
2. Combine all the ingredients into the saucepan
3. Boil under medium heat until the mixture forms a soft ball
4. Knead when cool
Shampoo Dough
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup white Glue
1/4 cup Shampoo
Water (for fusing shapes)
Mix 3/4 cup flour, glue and shampoo in bowl. Add remaining 1/3 cup flour. Lightly flour hands and knead dough. Re-flour hands whenever dough feels sticky. Shape dough, dipping pieces in water to fuse together.(This one is great to play with on an outside table- hands wash great afterwards and a hose cleans table up!)
Playdough
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 pkg Kool-Aid mix (unsweetened- any flavor)
1 Tblsp. Cooking Oil
1/2 cup salt
3 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Mix dry ingredients together in a large saucepan. Slowly add water mixed with oil, and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to a dough. Turn out onto counter and knead until cool enough for children to handle. Dough will be color of Kool-Aid mix, and will smell like Kool-Aid mix. Store in tightly covered container up to 6 months.
Fruity Putty
0.3 ounce pkg. sugar free fruit flavored gelatin, 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 4 Tbs. Cream of Tartar, 2 cups boiling water, 2 Tbs. Cooking Oil
Mix dry ingredients in saucepan. Add the boiling water & oil. Stir over med. heat until mixture forms a ball. Dump on wax paper. Cut the fruit picture from the box & glue it to the lid you use to store it in.
Glitter Playdough
3 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups salt, 6 teaspoons cream of tartar (acts as a preservative), 3 cups water, 3-4 tablespoons oil, icing food coloring, glitter
Mix the dry ingredients (except the glitter) together in a big pan. Add the water, oil, and food coloring, and whisk until the lumps are worked out and the food coloring is well mixed. Place the mixture over medium heat and stir until the dough thickens and gathers into a big ball. When the dough cools, knead in the glitter. Play-dough will keep several weeks in a plastic bag or covered bowl (no need to refrigerate). When ready to use, add cookie cutters, rolling pins, table knives, and plastic figurines to the fun.
Play-doh
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 cup salt, 2 cups flour, 2 cups water, 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
Cook and stir over low heat until it reaches the right consistency. It will not get any firmer when cooled. Keeps a long time if kept stored covered in refrigerator.
Oatmeal Dough
1 cup water
1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
Mix all ingredients together
Dryer Lint Clay
2 Cups Dryer Lint (firmly packed)
1/3 Cup warm water
6 TBS white glue
1 TBS clear dishwashing liquid
Tear the lint up into little bits. Mix everything in a bowl and knead until workable. Make things. Let them dry for several days.
DRYER LINT CLAY
3 cups dryer lint
2 cups warm water
2/3 cup wheat flour
Mix all ingredients together in a large sauce pan. Have an adult cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until the the mixture starts to hold together. Pour the mixture out onto several layers of newspapers to cool. Dryer lint clay dries to a hard, smooth finish.
Crunchy Claydough
1 Shredded Wheat biscuit
2 Tblsp. White Glue
Food Coloring
Crumble shredded wheat biscuit into bowl. Add glue and several drops of food coloring. Mix until shredded wheat is completely coated.(Objects dry hard in 12 hours. This dough does not keep. Use it right away)
Sawdust Clay
2/3 cup Sawdust (any wood except redwood)
1/3 cup Flour
1/3 cup Water
Mix sawdust and flour together in bowl. Gradually add water until mixture is stiff, but pliable. Knead for 5 minutes.(Add more flour if dough is sticky. Add water if the dough is too dry.Air dries hard in 24-48 hours. Paint finished projects with tempera or acrylic paints. Can sand projects before painting.)
Cream Cheese Playdough
8 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Non-fat Dry Milk
1 Tblsp. Honey
Crackers or Bread Slices
Combine cream cheese, milk & honey in bowl. Mix until well blended. Mold sculptures on wax paper, crackers or bread. Eat! (Store
unused portions in an airtight container and refrigerate. Use the expiration date on the package of cream cheese as a guide for storage length. Decorate by pressing dried fruit pieces, nuts or seeds into the dough.)
CHOCOLATE CLAY
10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup light corn syrup
Pour chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. and place in microwave on High for 1 minute. Stir the chocolate and place back in the microwave for 1 minute or until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the corn syrup. Spread the chocolate out 1/2 inch thick on a sheet of wax paper. Let the chocolate set overnight. It will stiffen and become pliable. Now you are ready to sculpt.
TIPS/IDEAS: Use White Chocolate and a few drops of food coloring before corn syrup is added to make different colored clays!
Toothpaste Putty
(Materials for one person)
1/2 teaspoon toothpaste (creamy type)
1 teaspoon white glue
2 - 3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon water.
Mix toothpaste, glue and cornstarch in a dish. Add water. Mix until you have a lump of putty. You may have to add more cornstarch if not putty consistency. Hint: Putty should clean dish. Wash and dry hands. Squeeze and roll putty into a ball. The more it's rolled, the better it gets. Push, pull, roll and explore PUTTY! Putty begins to dry in 20 minutes, so to soften it use only a few drops of water. Toothpaste putty will dry rock hard in 24 hrs. Hand lotion may be needed after this craft as your hands may be dry.
Larger Quantity
1/2 cup or 130 ml. tube creamy toothpaste
1 cup white glue
3 cups cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Enough for 20 children to play with.
I love the feel of it and it smells too!! It can stay in a plastic bag and reused. If it is a little dry than just add a few drops of water to soften up.
EDIBLE PLAY DOUGH
1 C. Peanut butter
1 C. Powdered Milk
1 C. Honey
1 C. Oatmeal
Mix together knead and play and/or eat.
Edible Clay
1/2 cup light corn syrup, 3/4 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup soft margarine,1/2 tsp t salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour.
Mix ingredients well and knead until smooth.
Tootsie Roll Dough
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 c white corn syrup
6 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
3 c powdered sugar
3/4 c dry milk
Mix all together and knead. Can be used to play with and eat when done! Have fun! The longer the kids play with it, the better it tastes!
ARGO DO-IT YOURSELF CLAY THAT'S SAFE FOR KIDS
2 cups baking soda
1 cup Argo Corn Starch
1 1/4 cups water
Mix cornstarch and baking soda, add water, mix. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Thicken to consistency of mashed potatoes. Form clay into desired shapes, let dry for 36 hours, color with paint or felt-tip marker, and coat with shellac or clear nail polish.
BAKEABLE SALT CLAY
Use cookie cutters or mold Salt Clay by hand, then bake in a 300 degree oven for use in creating refrigerator magnets, jewelry, ornaments, keychains, necklaces, and more.
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Knead well until it forms a soft ball. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil, make the shapes you want, and bake in the oven at 300 degrees or until hard (about one hour). You can use food coloring to color dough before you bake it, or paint it afterwards. A finishing coat of shellac or clear acrylic will make your salt clay products last longer.
Baked Clay
2 cups salt
2 cups warm water
5 cups flour
- Mix salt, flour and water. Add more (or less) water as needed to make an easy to handle dough.
- Knead the dough until it's smooth.
- Roll out to a ½ inch thickness.
- Cut shapes with a knife or cookie cutters.
- Bake at 300 for an hour
- Paint and shellac.
Baker's Dough
Materials: Flour Water Food coloring or tempera Spoons Measuring spoons and cups Bowls
Mixture: Let children mix: 1 C flour (1 C per child) plus ½ C water and food coloring or tempera. Stir (Should be the consistency of playdough.)
Procedure:
1. Play, create, mold, pound, stir, etc.
2. If dough is sticking to hands, have a small bowl of flour available. Children should pat their hands with flour.
3. This dough can air dry within 24 hours if you want to save the sculptures. Note: Let children mix as much as they wish (within reason).
BAKING SODA CLAY
2 cups Baking Soda
1 cup Cornstarch
1-1/4 cup Water
In medium saucepan, stir together baking soda, cornstarch and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it resembles mashed potatoes. Place in bowl and cover with damp cloth until cool. Store in sealed container.
BAKING SODA HANDS
1 pound box of baking soda
1 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cup water
In a saucepan combine box of baking soda with 1 cup cornstarch. Gradually add water and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the clay is thick and dough like. Knead the cooled clay on a desk top to flatten it. Trace around each child’s hand on the clay. Cut out the hand shape and allow to dry overnight. Let the children paint their clay hand shapes. Then use strong glue to attach two magnets to the back of the hand shape
Bread Dough Recipe
This is an easy recipe that you may want to mix up yourself...when you do it...it starts to seem like it is not going to work then all of a sudden you have the most wonderful dough. It is 8 slices of bread and 1/2 to 1 Cup of white glue. You can remove the crust if you want a more "pure" white dough or you can leave it on and it will have a "wheat" color to it. I start with 1/2 Cup of glue and add more as needed. You can get more specific recipes from the library in the craft section under bread dough art. We made people in our family(stick people) and they turned out really cute.
Chocolate Clay
10 ounces dark, milk or white chocolate confectionery coating (1-3/4 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips may be substituted), chopped and melted 1/3 cup light corn syrup
Combine chocolate and corn syrup until just blended. Spread onto a sheet of waxed paper to 3/8-inch thickness (about an 8-inch square). Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for about 2-3 hours or until dry to the touch. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap; let stand overnight. Use immediately or store up to 2 weeks. Yield: 1-1/4 cups. It is a lot of fun, we rolled it into long strings and made Easter baskets last year.
CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups baking soda
1 1/4 cups cold water
Mix and cook over medium heat stirring constantly about 4 minutes or till mixture thickens into a moist mashed potato-like consistency. Cover with a cloth while it cools enough to knead it. Roll out dough and cut into shapes using a straw to put a hole in the top for a ribbon to hang on the Christmas tree. Dry 24 hours. Paint with tempera paints.
Cinnamon Dough
Mix about equal parts of applesauce and cinnamon....add cinnamon until the dough is stiff, and not sticky....refrigerate....when ready to use...roll out onto surface that has been sprinkled with more cinnamon powder....to keep it from sticking. Let air dry...or dry in SLOW oven....if it dries too fast it will crack. Decorate as desired. We made cinnamon hearts for Valentines Day for our moms...and put magnets on the back for their frig.....and plus we made some more cinnamon bears..and put their names on it....with the left over dough.
CINNAMON DOUGH (for ornaments)
4.12 oz. ground cinnamon
3/4 c. applesauce
Combine together to form a stiff dough....add more applesauce if needed. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut. Let it air dry for several days, turning each day.
CLAY
4 c flour
1 c salt
1 1/2 c water
Mix ingredients well. You can add food coloring if you want.
Clay Dough
3 cups flour
3 cups salt
3 tablespoons alum
Combine ingredients and slowly add water, a little at a time. Mix well with spoon. As mixture thickens, continue mixing with your hands until it has the feel of clay. If it feels too dry, add more water. If it is too sticky, add equal parts of flour and salt.
Classroom Paste
1 cup non self-rising wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup cold water
4 cups boiling water
1 T alum
1/2 tsp oil of wintergreen
Mix flour and sugar in saucepan. Gradually stir in cold water to make a paste. Slowly stir in boiling water. Bring to a boil and stir until mixture is thick and clear. Remove from heat and mix in alum and oil of wintergreen. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.
CLEAN MUD
Unroll 6 rolls of white bathroom tissue paper into a very large container. Generously add water until covered completely. Grate 2 bars of Ivory soap into mixture, and add 1 1/2 c. of Borax. Mix up well and PLAY!! Will last a LONG time!
CLOUD DOUGH
Food coloring
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
6 cups flour
Add a few drops of food coloring to water. Combine water oil, and flour in a large bowl. Knead well on a countertop or other surface. If necessary, add more water in small amounts until the dough is soft and elastic. To store the dough, refrigerate it in an airtight container. Hint: Cloud dough is somewhat greasy ... make sure children play with it on a washable surface.
COFFEE DOUGH
4 c Unsifted all-purpose four
1 c Salt
1/4 c Instant coffee
1 1/2 c Warm water.
Dissolve the coffee in the warm water. In another bowl, mix the flour and the salt. Make a hole in this and add 1 cup of the coffee water into it. Mix with a fork or hands until smooth. Add more coffee water if needed: dough should be smooth and satiny, not sticky or crumbly. Store in a plastic bag to prevent drying of the dough. Bake finished designs in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour or more (until hard). Add 2 coats of shellac to preserve.
Coffee Dough
1 cup flour
1 cup coffee grounds
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup sand
Mix ingredients together. Shape into a ball and place thumb in center to form a hole. Place a treasure inside and cover up. Let dry 4 to 5 days. It is suppose to resemble a rock or a pumice stone. Then the child cracks it like an egg. My idea is to shape it like an egg and place a dinosaur inside. Have it crack and let the child be amaze to find a dino inside.
Bread People
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup salt
3 cups flour
Mixing bowl
Toothpicks
Garlic press
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Knead dough until smooth. The dough should feel rubbery and smooth. Make a ball from the dough for the body. Make a smaller ball for the head. Connect the two using a drop of water. Roll the dough to make arms and legs. Put a small amount of dough in a garlic press for hair. Attach using a little water. Add clothes using more dough and draw a face with the toothpick. Bake at 275 degrees for 2-3 hours. Let cool and paint. You can make these into magnets as well.
Chocolate Clay
4 (1 oz.) squares semisweet chocolate, melted slowly in a double boiler.
1 T. light corn syrup.
Place ingredients in small bowl and stir well. Pour into a flat pan lined with foil Chill 15 to 20 minutes until firm. Knead dough until smooth and pliable. Shape into desired shapes or cut with cookie cutters. "Hair" can be made with a garlic press if you're making people. This clay makes pretty roses and leaves. The finished product is edible and fun to place on top of cupcakes, cakes or cookies.
