This is a no-cook dough. Cream of tartar can be substituted for the alum. In my experience, unsweetened Kool-Aid works best. Sometimes use cookie cutters and other tools, but sometimes just let children use their hands and imagination. 

Combine warm water, salt, cream of tartar, oil, and Kool-Aid. Add flour, stir until dough forms together into a ball.  Some colors require just a touch more flour. Add small amounts of flour until the mixture naturally forms into a ball when stirred.

Store in air tight container at room temperature. 

Math Moment!! 🙂  Preschoolers can do the measuring for this recipe. It’s the perfect time to start talking about fractions. Use the flour and 1-cup, 1/2-cup, and 1/3-cup dry measuring cups. 

Here is a Kool-Aid Play Dough recipe for a gluten-free version from Steam Powered Family.

1 cup gluten-free flour
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons cream of tartar
Kool Aid packet in colour of your choice

In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients: flour, salt and cream of tartar. Mix until well combined.

In the second bowl, add vegetable oil and water. Now add the Kool-Aid packet. Whisk well.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix everything together until completely blended. If the mixture is too dry, add a bit more water. If the mixture is too wet, add a bit more flour. Just add bits until you get a nice consistency.

Take the play dough out of the bowl and knead until smooth. Repeat for each color until you have created your rainbow of playdough!

Store the playdough in an airtight container or zip-top bag. It is best to store the colors individually.

Happy playing with playdough!

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Messy mixtures: edible finger paint

One of the easiest versions I’ve seen of this fun project comes from Fun Cheap or Free where they describe how to simply mix up a box of instant vanilla pudding, divide it into muffin cups, add a few drops of food coloring to each, and set the whole thing on a white plastic table cloth. You can also use a paper plate or shiny finger paint paper.

Pre-reading skill development : Once there’s been a little time to share in the sensory fun of finger painting, see if your child would be open to some letter practice. Make it part of whatever letter week you’re on. Be sure to model the correct directions as you show how to write the letter.

Here’s a blurry refresher until I unearth my original!

General rules are: tall line letters start at the top and go down; horizontal lines go from left to right, curved letters start at the 2 on a clock and go around counter clockwise.

More soon!