Whether you are welcoming fall or celebrating the holidays, nothing says “home” or “love” quite like the smell of cinnamon in the air. Combining a fabulous scent like cinnamon with a sensory favorite like play dough is a smart play, if I do say so myself. Great nostalgic elements here.
Pulling out the play dough during your next baking spree is the perfect way to occupy your younger crowd who aren’t quite ready to help measure the cream of tartar for snickerdoodles, but will surely love being a part of the kitchen camaraderie. Give them a table nearby or a spot at the kitchen island, some cookie cutters, and a few cinnamon sticks and let them “make cookies” to their hearts content!
It’s brilliant really. Cinnamon playdough isn’t the only option, either. We have more fantastic holiday doughs like this Peppermint Play Dough for instance. Your kids will also love this Chai Tea Playdough and as an added bonus, both of these smell fantastic!
Supplies Needed for Cinnamon Playdough
- 1 cup flour
- 1⁄2 cup salt
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- Brown food coloring (optional)
- Medium saucepan
- Spoon or spatula
- Parchment paper
How to Make Cinnamon Playdough
- Gather all the ingredients needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the saucepan and stir to combine.
- Add the water and oil to the dry mixture.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine.
- Stir frequently for 4-5 minutes until it starts to pull away from the sides and a dough ball forms.
- Take off the heat and place on a piece of parchment paper to begin cooling.
- If you want to add food coloring, wait until the play dough is cool enough to handle. Add 8-10 drops of food coloring, then knead the dough to combine.
- Once the dough is completely cooled, the dough is ready for play.
- Store in a container with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator.
Tips for Awesome Playdough Play
Making this homemade playdough is super easy. A few things can derail the recipe. Old cream of tartar is one of the fastest ways to ruin a batch of new playdough on the stove. Another way it goes south fast is if you use to high of heat or cook it too long after the ball of dough starts to form.
Make sure the playdough is completely cooled. Pockets of heat can hide in the dough, so knead it a few times yourself before passing it on to a child.
You’ll need playdough tools, but they don’t have to be expensive. A few cookie cutters and a dough roller from the dollar store or your kitchen cabinets should do the trick. Those cookie stamps you’ve never known what to do with are a great idea to use with this dough to make designs.
Given the smell and the theme of this playdough, it makes sense to add kitchen toys like little saucers and cups for pretend milk. Maybe we are making “cookie for Santa” or maybe just cookies for Grandma, but either way the plates add to the fun and festivity.
Add cinnamon sticks or star anise to the play table. Or both. They can be used to make imprints in the dough, decorate the “cookies” act as a stick for lollipops, or even function as a dough roller.
Portion the playdough into small bags, tie with a ribbon and a gingerbread man cookie cutter and give it as gifts to small friends. Perfect for a class party, Sunday School, or besties.
What Else Can You Do With Cinnmaon?
Cook with your kid! Make Snickerdoodles. Or Cinnamon Buns. Or both!
Make this Autumn sensory bin with birdseed and cinnamon.
Read great books! Who knew you could find kid’s books about cinnamon? You can find Cinnamon from Sri Lanka by by at the library or on Amazon. Timber The Little Cinnamon Tree by Marcy Patterson is another fun choice. If you are in the mood for a slightly longer read-aloud, check out Cinnamon Ben By Macio Selby.
What’s Important about Sensory Play that Smells Good?
Our sense of smell can bring back the past in a single breath – Grandma’s sweater, a plateful of cookies, or a pan of chili – all can instantly take you back.
For kids, smells can remind them of the love, happiness, and joy associated with holidays or special days in the past and create a sense of familiarity that carries over from year to year and becomes ingrained in traditions. Joyful play is powerful play! One of the benefits of sensory play is that way it empowers kids to separate from big emotions and gain control. When this is combined with the power of scent to evoke emotions of joy, and love and safety – it’s a winning combination.
Smells also engage your child’s imagination, and create opportunities for pretend play – making playdough cookies for instance, or picking pretend flowers, or whatever comes to mind as the smell is experienced. The power of activating the olfactory nerves is a way to practice and strengthen awareness of all the senses. Plus, it’s just flat-out fun!
Growing up, there were always loot bag (also known as treat bags or party favors) at our birthday parties. It’s something that I continued doing for my own kids, but I noticed that over the years, they became more expected and seemingly less appreciated by party guests. 
It also creates another party activity that helps pass the time. And if you’re a parent, you know that that can be a very important thing on those party days!
The most popular giveaway last year was on the day I entitled “My Favourite Things”. This year, I decided to make that the theme for every day. I can’t wait to share them with you! 
My kids love playing with oobleck and this candy cane themed one was especially fun. They enjoyed creating patterns and molding and squishing it into a ball and then watching as that ball turned to liquid and slid off their hands.
There is so much great sensory input in this activity. It provides wonderful tactile input, visual input, proprioceptive input, and if you use scent, olfactory input. Kids can squish it, squeeze it, tap it, drizzle it, smush it around, and pour it.
The science of it all:
