Things to Make - Pumpkin Spice Play Dough

The other day, while shopping at Trader Joe's, I couldn't help but notice the Pumpkin Pie Spice and thinking about how good it must smell. I also had very little interest in actually making a pie. Then I remembered, Not-So-SAHM's post from last year about making pumpkin pie play dough. Brilliant.

When the girls were little, we made play dough almost once a week (using this recipe). But I barely ever think to make it for T (mom guilt). So T and I cooked some up together, using this new recipe (via Not-So-SAHM) and he loved it. He loved it so much that he decided to add extra flour (just for fun), so our dough became a little more crumbly and less malleable than anticipated. But still we had fun. And the smell was even better than I imagined.

HAPPY TUESDAY EVERYONE!!

Things to Make - Homemade Play Dough

Lately, we've been making our own play dough. I'd like to say that this has to do with me being an organic, do-it-yourself-type mom, but really it is more related to the facts that (1) I am rarely ever without at least one of my kids (if you think I am bragging, then something is wrong with you), which means that (2) whenever I go to Target, they come with me. And I fear the Target toy aisles, I really do. Taking three kids into Target to buy playdough is the mommyhood equivalent of going into battle. I cannot make it out without at least one of the three screaming at the top of his/her lungs - usually along the lines of "but I NEED THE BIG BARBIE PRINCESS CASTLE. I NEED IT!!" OR in T's case "WAHH! WAHH! BABA, DADA, GOG GOOSH, WAH! WAH!"

On the upside, I've found that when my kids make their own play dough, they take pride in the result. For example, when their friends visit they say things like "do you want to play with play dough? I MADE IT MYSELF!!" I, of course, find this adorable. It's also a really good activity for playdates, as it can keep multiple children entertained for long periods of time.

Here is the recipe we use, from the book - Super Baby Food

Ingredients:
1. 2 cups white flour
2. 1/2 cup table salt
3. 1 cup hot tap water
4. I teaspoon cooking oil (optional)
5. a few squirts of glitter paint (or another type of washable nontoxic paint)
*Note that this makes a LARGE batch, so you may want to consider halfing the recipe (can half operate as a verb?).

First mix the flour and salt (I let the kids do this part). Then slowly add water while kneading the dough (I let the kids do this part too, but it gets really messy, so you definitely have to help/supervise/participate). Add the oil (the oil is optional, it can make it more pliable but it can also make it sticky). If the dough is too sticky after a few minutes of kneading, add more flour. After about 5 minutes of kneading you should have a nice large lump of play dough. At this point, you can divide it into smaller batches and add in some glitter paint (you can also try food coloring, but when I tried this it dyed the kids' hands bright pink). Store in plastic bags (it keeps for awhile).

How about everyone else? Any other good play dough recipes? (I know there are several different methods, but we've been so happy with the one above that we haven't tried the others). I'd love to hear them!