Thrifty Homemade Play-doe

I used to be in the "Why make homemade play doe when you can buy it so cheap?" camp.  Other moms kept telling me I should try it and I would smile politely and say maybe I would.  I just couldn't see the sense of making something I could pick up for $1.50.

Enter in gas and commodity price increases!  Suddenly making my own play doe is much more economically compelling ;)

My kids love play doe, especially Captain Submarine.  He discovered the joy of it back when we lived in Wyoming when the temperatures hovered at 10 below during the day for a month.  He now constructs amazing ships and sea animals that are so detailed and tiny he could be an artist.

Homemade play doe is softer (much better for toddlers to use) and lasts longer than the store bought stuff.  It also is pretty easy to make, a one pot deal.  It is also cheap. 

I use a simple recipe I got off the net for Koolaid play doe.  It gives it nice color and scent which the kids seem to like. I always triple the amount because we have so many little ones who like to play.

You can use different Kool-Aid packets to get different colors.  My children's favorite's are blue, green, red, and yellow.

Kool-Aid Play Doe

1 cup flour

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 pack koolaid

1/4 cup salt

2 tbs cream of tartar

1 cup water

Put all dry ingredients into a large pot and stir until well mixed.  Stir in the wets and then stir over medium heat until it forms a ball 3-5 min.  Turn out onto tinfoil on your counter and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Then kneed like bread doe until smooth.  Only a few times needed usually.  Cover and let cool.  Then let the kids go at it!