DIY Playdough: A Simple, Sensory-Rich Craft for Preschoolers

Making homemade Play-Doh with your preschooler is a wonderful way to bond, explore creativity, and sneak in a bit of learning—all while having fun! This simple, hands-on activity is perfect for rainy days when you’re stuck inside, offering both entertainment and educational benefits. The best part is that you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand, making it a low-cost, high-reward activity.

To start, gather a few basic ingredients: flour, salt, water, vegetable oil, cream of tartar, and food coloring. The process of mixing these ingredients together is engaging for little hands and gives them an opportunity to practice measuring, stirring, and following instructions. Your preschooler will love getting involved in the kitchen, measuring out the flour or mixing the dough as it starts to come together. You can talk to them about each ingredient and its purpose—like how the cream of tartar makes the playdough more stretchy, or how the salt helps it last longer. It's an excellent way to introduce early math concepts like measurement and fractions while using simple language to explain the science behind it.

Here's the exact recipe we use.

Soft & Easy Playdough Recipe

Materials

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Optional: food coloring and/or essential oils

Steps

1. Pour all ingredients (except essential oil, if using) into a pan.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.
3. When it forms a ball, remove from pan.
4. After it cools, knead well (add food coloring and/or essential oils now, if using).
5. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months!

Optional Additions

• To make sugar cookie play dough: Follow the above recipe/steps and add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla into the dough after it is cooked and knead well.
• To make chocolate play dough: Follow the above recipe/steps and add 1-2 teaspoons of cocoa powder into the pan. This will be a dark brown dough.
• To make peppermint play dough: Follow the above recipe/steps and add 1-2 teaspoons of peppermint extract into the dough after it is cooked and knead well. I also added a few drops of red food coloring, but you can skip this part if preferred.
• To make gingerbread play dough: Follow the above recipe/steps and add 1-2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon into the pan. This will be a light brown dough.

Enjoy your soft and delightful playdoh!

Once the playdough is ready, it’s time for the fun part—playing! With soft, squishy dough in hand, your child can roll, mold, and shape it into anything they can imagine. Play dough activities help develop fine motor skills as children use their hands to manipulate the dough. They’ll be strengthening muscles in their fingers, which is essential for skills like writing and drawing later on. As they experiment with different textures, shapes, and designs, they’re also engaging in creative thinking and problem-solving. You can encourage them to make letters, numbers, or even little animals, turning playtime into an educational experience.

In addition to the creative benefits, making and playing with homemade playdough is a sensory experience that can help your preschooler build their sensory processing skills. The soft, pliable texture of the dough provides tactile feedback that helps children become more aware of different textures and sensations. Adding scents or using cookie cutters to create different shapes can further enrich the sensory experience, making it more stimulating and engaging. And because it’s homemade, you can customize the colors and textures to suit your child’s preferences or make a theme for the day, like "under the sea" or "farm animals." You can even paint your playdoh creations!

Rainy days can often feel long, but making homemade playdough is an easy way to keep your preschooler entertained while fostering creativity and learning. It's a perfect activity for any skill level and doesn't require a lot of preparation, but it offers endless opportunities for exploration. Whether it's shaping letters, making pretend food, or simply squishing it between their fingers, your child will be learning while having a blast. And when the playdough is done, you can store it for future use, creating a go-to rainy-day craft that never gets old.