Making Different Kinds of Playdough and Paint

Cooked Playdough

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Food coloring

Set-Up:

Collect supplies and create a workspace near the kitchen. A heat source is needed.

What to Do:

1. Heat flour, salt, cream of tartar.
2. Add water, oil, and food coloring.
3. Cook until it forms a ball-knead.
4. Store in a Ziploc and refrigerate for up to a month.

Ideas for More:

• Add a scent to the Playdough, by including a drop or two of scented oil or extract
• Add glitter for a texture.

Length of Activity:

Set Up – 5 minutes if supplies are readily available
Mixing – 5 minutes
Cooling time – 20 minutes

Resource: Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education Cookbook.

Rubbery Playdough

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup cornstarch

Set-Up:

Collect supplies and clear a workspace, a heat source is needed.

What to Do:

1. Mix with a fork until smooth.
2. Stir while heating for approximately 15 minutes.
3. Spoon onto plate or wax paper.
4. Play!
5. Store in refrigerator in a Ziploc gallon bag.

Ideas for More:

• Add food coloring to change the color

Length of Activity:

Set Up – 5 minutes if supplies are readily available
Creating the Dough – 15 minutes
Cooling time -15 minutes

Resource: http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/activities/a/playdough.htm

Kool-Aid Playdough

What You’ll Need:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 cups boiling water (or heat in the microwave for 6 minutes) with 1 package Kool-aid (any flavor)
• 3 tablespoons corn oil
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon alum

Set-Up:

Collect supplies and create a place to work, a heat source is needed.

What to Do:

1. Mix ingredients and knead with flour (may take up to 1 extra cup).
2. Stir for about 3 minutes to get rid of any lumps.
3. Add ¼ cup flour if the dough draws moisture in high humidity.
4. Knead to break up oil lumps.
5. Keeps well, has a nice fragrance and is very colorful and very flexible.
6. Use and create!
7. Store in refrigerator in a zip-loc bag for up to a month. (Suggest to write date it was made on the bag as a reminder)

Ideas for More:

• Use the second pack of Kool-aid to double the fun!
• Add a few drops of an extract for a stronger scent

Length of Activity:

Set Up – 5 minutes if supplies are readily available
Mixing – 5 minutes

Resource: http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/activities/a/playdough.htm
Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education Cookbook

Silly Putty

What You’ll Need:

• 2 parts liquid starch
• 1 part Elmer’s glue

Set-Up:

Collect supplies and clear a workspace.

What to Do:

1. Add starch to glue.
2. Mix.

Ideas for More:

• If you desire softer putty you may try using equal parts.
• Add food coloring to the liquid starch for color.

Length of Activity:

Set Up- 5 minutes if supplies are readily available
Mixing-5 minutes

Resource: Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education Cookbook.

Salt Paint

What You’ll Need:

• ½ cup liquid starch
• 2 cups salt
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup flour
• Tempera powder or food coloring

Set-Up:

Collect supplies and clear a workspace.

What to Do:

1. Thoroughly mix liquid starch, salt, water and flour.
2. Divide mixture for different colors.
3. Slowly add food coloring or tempera powder.
4. Use as paint.
5. Store in a plastic bottle, such as a recycled mustard or ketchup bottle.
6. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Ideas for More:

• Add glitter to paint for a slightly different effect!

Length of Activity:

Set Up – 5 minutes if supplies are readily available
Mixing – 5 minutes

Resource: Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education Cookbook.

Face Paint

What You’ll Need:

• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• ½ tsp. water
• ½ tsp. cold cream
• A couple of drops of food coloring
• Muffin tin

Set-Up:

Collect supplies and clear a workspace.

What to Do:

1. In each cup of the muffin tin, mix the corn starch, water, cold cream and a food coloring of a different color for each cup.
2. Stir.
3. Paint your face.
4. Wash your face with soapy water.
5. Store paints in a plastic container for up to a month.

Ideas for More:

• Use a mirror in order for the “face-paintee” to watch the process
• Paint a whole face design

Length of Activity:

Set Up – 5 minutes if supplies are readily available
Mixing – 5 minutes

Resource: Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education Cookbook.