Making Playdough

Few activities are as satisfying as making playdough from scratch and then kneading, squishing, pounding, stretching, and shaping the dough.
There are so many recipes for making doughs! This one is by far my favorite when you want to involve children in the process.

The special ingredient is Kool-Aid powder. The Kool-Aid adds a scent and, depending on the flavor you choose, it provides the color.
Lemonade flavor makes an off-white dough when used by itself or works well with added color of your choice.

This recipe uses hot water and no cooking is required. The water can be from an instant hot water dispenser or run through a coffee maker or heated in a microwave. I’ve even had success making this at school with hot water transported in a thermos bottle.

Measurement of ingredients does not need to be exact so it’s a great recipe for children first learning to measure ingredients. (Cowboy Biscuit Dough is another forgiving and versatile recipe for children to make.)

Encourage accurate measuring and demonstrate how to measure with a measuring cup and measuring spoon. Then let children do their best.

Here’s the basic recipe:

TIP: Set out all the ingredients before inviting children to join you.

Choose a work place that suits your situation. If I am working with only one or two children, I may work at the kitchen counter and let kids stand on a learning tower (stool). For more than two, I would definitely work at a regular table or a child-size table.

Here are the steps in photographs: