The Holiday Season is upon us and this healthy family won’t be making sugar cookies so we have to find something that’s just as fun and festive. The solution may lie in the many, many online tutorials for making salt dough ornaments! This reminded me of the homemade play dough I made when my children were little. While there are gazillions of salt dough recipes out there, this one is my all time favorite because it’s very close to the commercially made “Play Doh” that everyone loves! This recipe was given to me years ago by a college professor. It’s cheap, easy and fun to make!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need but watch the video for handy tips!

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Optional:
food coloring

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Stir constantly to prevent sticking over medium heat. Mixture will be soupy for a while then ALL OF A SUDDEN it will thicken and stir itself into a ball! Immediately remove from heat but continue stirring. Dump the hot dough out onto a floured surface and continue kneading as it cools.

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator OR it can be frozen for later play! Projects can be air-dried (don’t make them too big or thick). Alternatively, (though never tried my ME) is to put them in a pre-heated oven on the lowest setting for 1-4 hours depending on the size of the object.