The BEST Play Dough Recipe EVER!

Can I just say how much I love using play dough in therapy? It’s such a great way to keep kids interested and can be used in so many ways. Here are just a few of the many possibilities: it can be used as a visual model to show how the articulators work, for following directions with fun play dough mats, or as a reinforcer.

Instead of buying it, I’m a big fan of using a play dough recipe to make my own. I think home made play dough feels better, smells better, and looks better. Making it can even be a lesson of its own and incorporated into a therapy session. I have tried many play dough recipes over the years and the one I’m currently using is simply the best! It’s not too hard, not too mushy, and holds up very well.

Here’s what’s in it:

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup salt
1 T. cream of tartar
1 T. olive oil
1/2-3/4 cups of boiling hot water
food coloring (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the water and food coloring. Then, bring water to a boil. If you’ve decided to use food coloring, add it directly to the water and mix. After that, SLOWLY add water to your dry mixture and stir. The amount of water you need isn’t an exact amount and you might have to play around with it a bit. I start off by adding 1/2 cup to mine, then slowly increasing as needed. If your play dough gets too mushy because you’ve added too much water, just add some more flour! Once the mixture cools, knead it with your hands until it feels just right. You can add a couple of drops of vegetable glycerin at the end, which will make the play dough even softer and shinier.

There you have it! The BEST play dough recipe ever!

Do you use home made play dough in speech therapy? What’s your tried and true recipe?

Please stop by next week for a fun linky party and giveaway on Tuesday!

Have you signed up for the newsletter yet? It’s a great way to be informed each time a new post goes up! Plus, you’ll be the first to know when a product is on sale, a freebie is created, or a giveaway is announced!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Cassity, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist in Florida. She is the founder of Digital SLP, which specializes in online speech therapy materials for busy SLPs. She also blogs and hosts a podcast, both of which can be found on The Digital SLP. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, cooking, the outdoors, and spending time with her children.