Homemade Playdough

We are having a snow day here in Oregon. It's actually just a 2 hr delay, but our hill is terrible right now. We've been watching cars and trucks slide down the hill and struggle to get up it all morning., so we opted to stay safe at home today.

So, with all the kids home we pulled out our homemade playdough recipe and got to work. This is one of my kids favorite things to make, probably because I let them each choose their own color. It's more fun that way.

This is a very simple recipe, hardly costs a thing and is totally safe for your little ones to play with, especially if they decide to "taste" it. This is a recipe that we've been making for years.

Homemade Playdough
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 TB cooking oil
1 tsp cream of tarter *
Food coloring

Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low-med heat until a soft ball forms. Use a rubber spatula to scrape dough from bottom and sides of pan as it heats. It only takes 1-3 minutes for the ball to form. Turn off heat and dump ball out on countertop. Knead the ball for about 30 seconds (careful, it's hot) and then you're ready to play!

Store in an airtight container and it will keep for about 2 weeks.

*If you don't have cream of tarter you can leave it out or substitute baking powder. However, the playdough will probably only last about 2-3 days before it gets sticky.