Play Doh: Fun to Play with, Not to Eat

Play Doh is something we all grew up with: that iconic yellow can with the red logo on the label. Anyone, no matter how old they are, will always enjoy squishing their fingers through the colorful, malleable dough. But, Play Doh is expensive. Especially when the kids leave it out, don't put the cover on tight enough, or it just gets old enough that it starts to dry and crack.

So, instead of paying $18.00 every couple of months for a 24 pack of Play Doh at Toys R Us (never mind how much you spend on the different accessories), spend some time with your child, making your own Play Doh, that at least when it gets left out, you don't feel like you've dumped $20 down the drain! Making Play Doh is fun and easy for little hands!

All you need is:
1 Cup of All-Purpose White Flour
1/2 Cup of Table Salt
2 Tablespoons of Cream of Tartar
2 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
1 3 ounce package of Jello (individual Kool Aid packets also work)
, flavor of your choice. (Keep in mind that the flavor that you choose will be the end result color and scent. For example, if you choose green, it will be lime scented and green colored).
Plastic cookie cutters for hours of fun after it's finished (optional)
Glitter (optional)
Additional Food Coloring (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. This will be great for your little one to help with. Once mixed, pour the contents of the bowl into a non-stick sauce pan and heat over a MEDIUM flame. This burns easily, so don't use high heat. Stir continuously - a rubber spatula will work the best. It will become lumpy, clumpy, and then finally smooth out, ending in a ball that looks exactly like Play Doh in your pan.

Let cool for 20-30 minutes outside of the pan before letting little hands dig into it. Once cooled, allow your child to knead it. It will probably be sticky, so mix in a little more flour - no more than half a cup - just until the stickiness is gone. If you wish for bolder colors, at this point you can feel free to add a few drops of food coloring to help. Also, feel free to mix in a little glitter to make it sparkle!

Now, let them have at it! They'll get hours of entertainment out of this simple recipe and your wallet will get a huge break! Not to mention the time that you spent with them! When they're all done, store the dough in separate Tupperware containers for later use!

Enjoy!