Cooking can be a science, and making playdough is no different. Making Playdough involves measuring, mixing, and of course, trial and error! It takes practice to get a recipe that works for you. Today we will be making taste safe and no bake playdough.

This playdough is a salt and flour mixture added with a water, oil, and food coloring solution. When all these ingredients are combined and kneaded, something new is formed. The new substance is malleable and able to be molded how you want it to.

Supplies

● Flour: 2 cups

● Salt: ⅔ cup

● Water: 1 cup

● Oil: 4 tsp

● Food Coloring: 10+ drops

Step 1: Gather Your Mixing Supplies

You will need the following:

● 1 large mixing bowl

● Measuring cup (for water)

● Measuring cups/spoons

○ 1 cup

○ ⅔ cup

○ 1 tsp

Step 2: Mix Food Coloring and Water Together in a Container

Measure 1 cup of water and add at least 10 drops of food coloring. The more food coloring added the darker the playdough will be. The water and food coloring make a solution.

A solution is a liquid mixture in which the solute (or minor component) is uniformly distributed within the solvent (major component). So, in this case the food coloring is mixed completely with the water.

Step 3: Mix Your Dry Ingredients Together in a Large Bowl

Dry ingredients are just as described,ingredients that are not wet, but dry. If you cook, this is something that you might be aware of doing already. To mix your dry ingredients first means you will evenly disperse the agents and create an even base. An agent is a substance that brings about a chemical or physical effect or causes a chemical reaction.

Step 4: Add Your Wet Ingredients Into Your Dry Ingredients

After mixing your dry ingredients you are ready to add your wet ingredients to the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. First add 4 tsp of oil then slowly pour and mix in the water and food coloring solution little by little.

Step 5: Mix and Knead

As you mix in the wet ingredients you will notice something happening. The mixture will first become almost crumbly, but as you keep mixing you will notice that the mixture will become solid like and malleable.

This is where you will take time to knead the mixture to finish your playdough!

Kneading means mixing and and working the dough with your hands.

Malleable means it can be molded without breaking.

Step 6: Play!

Step 7: (Optional): Trying Making It Again With Different Mixtures or Ingredients

As I learned while working on this recipe, it took time to make playdough how I liked it. My first batch, seen above in one picture, came out too salty and not evenly mixed. This is because I added food coloring last after the dough was made and because I added too much salt (about 1 cup instead of ⅔ cup). It still worked, but it didn’t play as well as my final result. But that is the importance of being a scientist, experimenting and trying again!

The above instructions are my final result and am proud of this playdough recipe! It is no bake and taste safe which I love, and I hope your little ones will as well!