Homemade Play Dough

The Podlings have all loved play dough and Emma is no exception. It is a great way to wile away a wet or cold morning (like this morning) and whilst commercial play dough certainly has its place, I have always preferred homemade dough for toddlers. The recipe I have always used produces a softer, more malleable dough that is easier for little hands to manipulate.

Recipe for homemade play dough:

2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups water
Food colouring of your choice (in my experience you need a reasonable amount to get a good colour)

1. Put everything into a saucepan and give it a good stir.
2. Turn on the gas and keep stirring until the mixture thickens and looks like...well, till it looks like play dough! The stirring gets hard work towards the end, but it's worth it.
3. Turn out the dough and leave on a plate until it is cool enough to handle (I knead it to cool it quicker).
4. Give it to your children to play with when it is cold and if you wrap it up well in cling film when they are finished it keeps very well.

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