I can't believe I am posting this...

I have a huge issue with play dough. I don't like it. AT. ALL. It gets in the carpet, it gets in the wood cracks on the table, it dries up and makes a HUGE MESS. I have never liked it, EVER. But I am realizing that it may just be in important thing in my son's life so I am pushing aside my disdain for it and decided to make him some play dough to play with. His speech therapist thinks it will be beneficial in his therapy for learning colors, shapes, how to use scissors and many other things.

So on Saturday after going to see Elmo I decided that the girls and I would make 6 different colors of play dough for him to use during the week. And of course the girls were super excited to make play dough that was actually going to stay at home. I have made it many other times but normally we shipped it off to preschool classes or other friends, but never did it remain in our home to be played with. I know, I know, I have issues.

So on to the real plan at hand, teaching all of you how to make your own play dough. Ky Guy's day care provider gave me a recipe for Kool-Aid Play Dough many many many years ago and it has always been my go to recipe. I LOVE the texture, the smell, and well just about everything about it.

Kool-Aid Play Dough Recipe

1/2 cup Salt

2 cups Water

2 tbs vegetable oil

2.5-3 Cups Flour

2 tbs Alum (found near the spices)

2 packages of Kool-Aid in any flavor

Boil water and salt in a pot until salt is dissolved. While water and salt are beginning to boil combine 2.5 cups of flour, alum and Kool-Aid packages. Once water has come to a boil add vegetable oil and combine with flour mixture. Stir with spoon until well combine. Once the mixture is at a temperature that you can handle without burning your hands begin to knead the dough, adding remaining 1/2 cup of flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Be careful not to add to much flour as it will make your play dough dry out way to fast.

These are the six colors we ended up with.

#1 Purple = Grape Kool-Aid

#2 Yellow = Lemonaid Kool-Aid + yellow food coloring

#3 Hot Pink = Cherry Kool-Aid

#4 Red = Pink Lemonaid Kool-Aid + red food coloring

#5 Orange = Orange Kool-Aid

#6 Blue = Berry Blue Kool-Aid

The other day I found these great containers at the dollar store and picked them up knowing I was going to make play dough in the near future, they turned out working great for 1/2 batch and because I planned on giving 1/2 of each batch away it was perfect...except for the fact that I didn't buy enough so I put 1/2 in the containers and 1/2 in a Ziploc bag, both are great for storage!

After we got done making the play dough the girls, The Fish and I walked to Joann Fabrics with my 40% off coupon and found this great set of cookie cutters, prefect for our new play dough. With coupon the set was $9, I found it by the baking supplies.

We returned home and set up a table outside and the kids played for hours! I had some finish work to do on their picnic table so I was able to work on that while they played and we all enjoyed a great afternoon outside. The Hubs and Ky Guy were off fishing so it was a fun way to spend our afternoon without them.

Despite what the pictures show The Fish really did LOVE playing with play dough he was just avoiding the camera...silly boy!

I shared my project on

The DIY Show Off Parade

And

Making the World Cuter Monday

And

With Today's Creative Blog