Do you ever feel like the kids are wound up tight and you just need them to calm down for a minute? Well, one way I have found that always gets my kids attention is when I say, “Would you guys like me to make some pay-dough?” I can hear there excitement even now as I am writing this! They always get excited and I find that it is a nice calming activity that can keep them busy for quite some time.
Have you tried making play dough before and ended up with a sticky mess? I have tried making play dough on the stove top and I ended up with a mess and a pot that took forever to clean. I love my no-cook play-dough recipe! It’s fast and really easy to make.
Why would you want to make play-dough?
- The first reason would be it’s a lot faster then running to the store to buy some. Especially if you have a lot of little ones to load in the car.
- The ingredients are common, and you more than likely already have them in your kitchen. Since it’s made with safe ingredients from your kitchen, you don’t have to worry about the occasional piece being ate by a child. Because, what child doesn’t eat some play dough in their life!
- It’s also a fun activity to make with your kids and will keep then entertained for hours once made!

What ingredients do you need to make play-dough?
Flour
Salt
Cream of Tartar
Oil
Why add salt?
The salt stops the yeasts in the air from fermenting the dough and turning it into a bubbly sourdough starter. The salt acts as a preservative and helps your play-dough last longer. As long as you keep it in a air tight container.
Why put oil in the dough?
The oil helps the dough to be less sticky. Being less sticky means the dough will not stick to the cookie cutters or the rolling pin! It also helps form a softer, smoother dough.
What is the cream of tartar for?
Cream of tartar makes the dough light in the same way yeast would, with out having the dough turn into a sourdough starter. You can make this recipe with out it, but it will be a heaver dough that’s not as easy to play with.
Ingredients for No Cook Play Dough
3 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 Tbsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp oil
2 cups boiling water
How the make Play-dough
This recipe is so fast and easy its only takes less than 10 minutes to whip up, and it can keep your kids occupied for hours! I like to make a decent size batch, so if you need a smaller batch just cut the recipe in half and your good to go.
- Add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, and 4 tablespoons of cream of tartar into a kitchen aid.
2. Add boiling water and oil to the dry ingredients. Mix on slow to medium speed for about 5 minutes. You may need to stop and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Notes.
If your dough is too sticky, you may need to add 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of additional flour.
If you want colored Play Dough then it’s best to add the food coloring to your water before adding the water to the dry ingredients.


This sounds like such an awesome recipe! No-cook! Can’t beat that! I’m totally gonna be trying this out! Thank you for sharing Elizabeth! =)
How fun!!! I definitely need to try this. I also appreciate it that you took the time to explain what effect the different ingredients have. I think I want my grandchildren to help me make it, because that can be fun too!!