DIY Disco Playdough

Playdough plus glitter equals sparkly fun for the kids! Mixing up a batch of the mashable, stretchy dough hasn’t always come easy to me. There’s no real magic secret to the ‘world’s best playdough’. The majority of recipes look at least somewhat like what you’ll see here. It’s what you add to it that makes it different!

 

Many years ago (before I had a child of my own) I had my first dough-making experience. It was also my first time teaching (3- and 4-year-olds). My supervisor teacher handed me the recipe and sent me off to the school’s kitchen to cook it. Let me just say, it did not come out very well. I added enough glitter to it that the kids didn’t mind the not-so-smooth texture (after all, they were in awe of the sparkles).

My play dough skills did somewhat improve since then. Honestly, the more you make the stuff, the more you can experiment with what works for you. Some people like to add more oil, less oil, no oil, coconut oil, food coloring, powdered tempera, and so on.

Why do I love this dough activity? Because it truly sparkles like a disco ball. And, if you’re afraid of glitter (which is completely normal and rational, given that the sparkly stuff sticks everywhere), don’t worry. The play dough’s mushiness grabs the sparkles and does a pretty good job of holding them in!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        2 ½ cups water

·        2 ½ cups flour

·        3-5 tablespoons of vegetable oil

·        1 ½ tablespoons of cream of tarter

·        1 cup of salt

·        Glitter – In several different colors

·        Optional: Food coloring

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Mix all of the ingredients in a big bowl. Personally, I prefer to mix them in the pot that I will use to cook the dough. That eliminates one more dish to wash later on.

 

2.     Cook the mixture on the stove, stirring often. Do not allow the dough to come to a boil. If it starts bubbling, turn down the heat immediately. Continue stirring until it looks like dough. If it looks like watery cake batter, keep going.

 

3.     Spoon the play dough into another bowl to cool.

 

4.     Optional: Add color, after it has cooled enough to touch. Drop a few drips of food coloring in and mash the dough as much as you can. Your child can knead it, fold it over and press the color through.

5.     Sprinkle glitter onto the dough. I put a piece of paper underneath the catch the excess glitter. You can dump the leftover sparkles into a baggie for later.

 

6.     Roll it into a ball. Sprinkle more glitter (in different colors) over the ball for a disco effect! Hint: Use a mix of fine and course glitter. The fine glitter coats the outside of the dough, giving it a metallic sheen, while the course stuff really stands out. Your child doesn't have to keep the playdough in a ball. She can spread it out and see how the sparkles shine.

 

Are you looking for more playdough recipes for kids? Follow my Pinterest board for ideas!

 

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Slime, Play Dough and Goo on Pinterest.