The Rosie Layne: homemade playdough

One of my earliest taste memories is the salty goodness of homemade playdough. When I was in 5 year old kindergarten Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Turner would sometimes surprise us with this treat. After making their rounds, giving each child a generous portion of the mold-able gooey-ness, they would stop by my station and act surprised. "Mary! Is that all the playdough you got!?!? Where did you put the rest of it?" I would ashamedly shrug my shoulders and relish the delightful saltiness in my mouth. I know I'm not supposed to be encouraging you or your little ones to eat playdough, but wow, I've always thought it was so tasty. So, when my friend, Jaclyn, had me and the girls over last week and she busted out the homemade playdough, I simply had to get my hands into it, and sneak a taste... and she shared her recipe, which is the best I've found. It's not too clay-like and not sticky at all. It's just perfect. (And it tastes just like I remember... ;)

If your child is a little on the wild side (Jaclyn called it "spirited")

then she may be a ki nesthetic or tactile learner (as opposed to an auditory or visual learner). Playing with things that keep their hands busy can be helpful, especially if you need to get them occupied for more than 5 minutes. Piggy has really enjoyed playing with this playdough.

Homemade Playdough

1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon oil (I used vegetable oil)
1/4 cup salt
food coloring

Pour water, flour, salt, cream of tartar, and oil into a pot. Mix until smooth. Add your food coloring. (Remember that the standard red, yellow, blue, and green can be mixed to create orange, purple, and brown, too.)