The Chaos and the Clutter

playdough stations

Snow Playdough

Snow Playdough and invitation to play

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Last month, Granola Girl chose a snow theme for her birthday party. I had planned to make snow playdough for all the party guests and send it home with them along with a snowflake cookie cutter for the party favour. Unfortunately, her party fell the week of Snuggle Puppy’s emergency appendix surgery so the playdough didn’t get made in time. I still really wanted to make it for my kids to play with so just this week, I set out the playdough with some other items and invited the kids to come and play.

Snow playdough and invitation to playSnow Playdough Recipe:

  1. 1 cup flour
  2. 1/2 cup salt
  3. 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  4. 1 Tbsp. oil
  5. 1 tsp. or more white liquid colour
  6. 1 cup water (boiling if using the KitchenAid method)
  7. silver glitter

KitchenAid method instructions:

  1. Put dry ingredients in KitchenAid mixer.
  2. Add oil and the white liquid colour and begin mixing with the flat beater.
  3. As it is mixing on the lowest setting, add the boiling water.
  4. Add in the silver glitter. Mix until the playdough texture you want is achieved.
  5. Take the dough out of the mixer and knead it for half a minute or so.
  6. Once it has cooled, store it in an airtight container or in a resealable bag.

Stovetop method instructions:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a pot.
  2. Stir in the oil, water, and liquid colour.
  3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom.
  4. Cook until the dough forms a ball.
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Place playdough on a piece of wax paper.
  7. Knead.
  8. Add in the glitter at this point. Knead.
  9. Let cool. Store in an airtight container or in a resealable bag.

Snow Playdough and invitation to playSnow Playdough Invitation to Play:

I set out a snowflake cookie cutter, a snowflake stamp, snowflake confetti, snowflake brads, pine cones painted silver with silver spray paint (this should be done by an adult), and a little plastic snowman with the playdough. As always, the kids were much more creative than I ever could be and came up with ideas I wouldn’t have thought of.

snow playdough and invitation to playOur neighbours were over playing and Mr. V. thought of using a pine cone as a stamp to create a pattern in the playdough. Such a cool idea! Little Miss J. used the cookie cutter and on the inside of the cutout created, she used the snowflake stamp. The result was so pretty.

Dancing Queen made a five tiered snow cake topped with two plastic snowmen and decorated with the metallic confetti. I got a picture of it but it was so blurry that even editing couldn’t salvage it (I’m still trying to figure out my camera!) so you will just have to use your imagination when it comes to the snow playdough cake.

Join our free 5 part email series Sensory Solutions and Activities and get our Sensory System Behaviours Easy Reference Cards.

Check out some of our other playdough invitations to play:

Calming Lavender Scented Playdough

Peppermint Scented Christmas Playdough

Valentine’s Chocolate and Strawberry Playdough

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To create this Valentine’s sensory station, I used strawberry and chocolate playdough. I added other items to encourage imaginative play. This playdough invitation to play held the attention of my kids and I loved the creative ideas they came up with. Strawberry and Chocolate Playdough Valentines invitation to play #sensoryplay #chocolateplaydough #playdoughinvitationtoplay #playdoughStrawberries and chocolate are something I think of when I think about Valentine’s Day. Chocolate playdough was easy to make. I used red glitter in the dark pink playdough to make it look like strawberry.

Supplies for the invitation to play:

  • pipe cleaners
  • gold foil candy cups
  • heart cupcake liners
  • various heart shaped cookie cutters
  • heart treat mould
  • lollipop sticks
  • rolling pin
  • chocolate and strawberry scented play dough (recipes below)

I was so surprised at what the kids created with the playdough! They are much more creative than I am.

They made cake pops, heart shaped lollipops, bon bons, little creatures, desserts, and cookies. Einstein even made a cookie that looked like someone had taken a bite out of it!

Valentine's Sensory PlayHere are the recipes for the play dough. Both recipes can also be found in my Sensory Bins ebook.

Chocolate Playdough Recipe:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cups water

Stovetop instructions:

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until it forms a ball and your arms are ready to fall off! Scoop it onto wax paper and allow it to cool. When cool enough, knead it and it is ready to play with.

No cook instructions:

Add the flour, salt, cocoa, and cream of tartar to the KitchenAid mixer. With the dough beater (the flat one), begin mixing on low and add the oil. As it mixes, pour in 2 cups of boiling water and continue to mix on low until it resembles playdough texture.

Remove the dough from the mixer and knead it by hand for 30 seconds to a minute.

The smell of this chocolate playdough is amazing!

This dough keeps soft for months if stored in an airtight container or resealable bag. 

Strawberry Playdough Recipe:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 2 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • red food coloring or pink food paste
  • red glitter
  • optional: 3 drops of strawberry essential fragrance oil

Stovetop instructions:

Put all the ingredients except for the essential oil and glitter into a pot and stir. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a ball. As soon as it goes into a ball, take it off the heat and dump it onto the counter on wax paper.

When it is cool enough, add essential oil and/or glitter and knead it until it is nice and soft. Store in an airtight container or resealable bag.

No cook instructions:

Add the flour, salt, and cream of tartar to the KitchenAid mixer. Using the dough beater, begin mixing on low and add the oil, food colouring, and essential oil. As it mixes, pour in 1 cup of boiling water and continue to mix on low until it resembles playdough texture.

Take the dough out of the mixer and knead it for 30 seconds to a minute. Add the glitter in at this point and mix through by kneading.

The scented strawberry and chocolate playdough create a sensory experience that includes olfactory, tactile, and proprioception sensory systems.

If you are looking for other sensory activities, you may want to join me for a free 5 part email series Sensory Solutions and Activities and get your Sensory System Behaviours Easy Reference Cards.

Check out some of our other play dough invitations to play:

Peppermint Essential Oil Playdough Snow Playdough Snow Playdough and invitation to play

Gingerbread Playdough Station

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This week, we are concentrating on the letter “G” and I just couldn’t think of a great sensory bin to go with that, so instead, I made a Gingerbread Sensory Table. I have this awesome recipe for Gingerbread Playdough that looks and smells like real gingerbread dough. We make it most years before the holidays.

This scented gingerbread playdough smells just like gingerbread and makes such a fun Christmas sensory station.The only negative thing about this playdough is that it smells so good and the colour looks so much like true gingerbread dough that kids want to eat it. In fact, my great-niece was over last night and couldn’t resist tasting it!

I set out a rolling pin, a cookie sheet, 3 gingerbread cookie cutters, and a flipper (spatula) along with a large container of the gingerbread playdough. Our kids have so much fun pretending to bake gingerbread men. You can also set out items like yarn for them to decorate their gingerbread men. The playdough stays fresh for a long time as long as it’s kept in a tightly sealed container in between play sessions.

Gingerbread Playdough Station

Gingerbread Playdough Recipe:

5 cups flour
1 cup salt
6 Tbsp. oil
2 1/2 tsp. alum
3 pkg. unsweetened orange Koolaid
3 1/2 cups boiling water
6 Tbsp. instant coffee
1 Tbsp. each of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves

Mix Koolaid, flour, spices, alum, and salt in a bowl. Pour in oil and mix until crumbly. Combine water and instant coffee and pour over dry ingredients. Mix well. Keep dough in an airtight container.

This dough makes a great Christmas gift, especially if packaged with a few gingerbread cookie cutters and a children’s rolling pin.

We also have several other Christmas playdough themes that you may be interested in. I find that they are a great way to keep kids occupied during the holiday season while I am busy preparing food or cleaning.

Join me for a free 5 part email series Sensory Solutions and Activities and get your Sensory System Behaviours Easy Reference Cards.

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