Valentine’s Day Playdough
This Valentine’s Day Playdough recipe is a fun and creative activity for you and your children to enjoy together. It’s quick and easy to make and is taste safe, as it’s made from real food ingredients.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No cooking required, just mix the ingredients together
- Children love to help make the playdough and play with it afterwards
- Encourages open ended play and promotes fine motor skills
- If stored correctly, this playdough will keep for several months
Ingredients
- 150g (1 cup) plain / all-purpose flour
- 150g (1/2 cup) table salt
- 2 tbsp cream of tartar (approx. 20g)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted (approx. 22g)
- 110ml (1/2 cup) boiling water
- 1 tsp red food colouring gel (approx. 4ml) amount will depend on brand
Ingredient Notes
Flour
It is best to use plain / all-purpose flour for this playdough recipe. I have tried to experiment using gluten free flour in the past and it hasn’t turned out great, so I find it best to stick to the cheap bags of flour you can find at the supermarket.
Salt
Again it’s best to use cheap table salt for this recipe, rather than more expensive salts such as sea salt or pink Himalayan. Save the fancy salts for your actual food!
Coconut Oil
It is best to melt your coconut oil before adding it to the other ingredients. You can either add it straight into the flour mixture, or add it into the boiling water first.
Water
Make sure your water is boiling when you add the food colouring to it and then pour it into the rest of the mixture as soon as it has dissolved.
Food Colouring
I find food colouring gel works best for this recipe, as it will give the playdough a more vibrant colour. Depending on the brand you are using, you may not need a whole teaspoon of food colouring gel to produce a strong red colour.
If your brand of food colouring gel is more concentrated then start out by adding a smaller amount to the boiling water and see how dark a colour it turns the water.
I used a Dr Oetker brand of food colouring gel, which isn’t very concentrated and took a whole teaspoon to produce a light red colour. You would probably need to use less with a slightly more expensive brand.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups or
- Kitchen scales
- Measuring jug
- Teaspoon (tsp)
- Tablespoon (tbsp)
How to Make Valentine’s Day Playdough
Step 1
Add the flour, salt and cream of tartar to a large bowl and mix well.
Step 2
Melt 2 tablespoons (approximately 22ml) of coconut oil in a saucepan or microwave. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix.
Step 3
Pour 110ml (1/2 cup) of boiling water into a measuring jug. Add up to 1 teaspoon of red food colouring gel to the water and mix well.
If the brand of food colouring gel you are using is highly concentrated then you may not need to use as much to achieve a vibrant red colour.
Make sure the boiling water has turned a dark red colour and the gel has dissolved. Then add the water to the other ingredients.
Step 4
Combine well using a spoon and then use your hands to thoroughly bring the mixture together to form a dough.
Step 5
Use your hands to massage the playdough to make sure all of the ingredients are well combined.
If after a while the playdough feels too dry, add a splash of water or coconut oil to add more moisture.
If the playdough feels too wet and sticky, add some more flour until it feels like more of a playdough consistency.
Tips
Keep it cost effective – use items that you already have around your home to decorate your playdough with. We used the following items:
- Heart shaped cookie cutter
- Small rolling pin
- Reusable silicone cupcake holders
- Biodegradable glitter (chunky glitter works better than fine)
- Jewels from a craft set
- Cocktail sticks with cardboard hearts on top
Here are some other ideas of things you may have around your home:
- Different shaped cookie cutters or playdough tools
- Wooden ice lolly sticks
- Pipe cleaners
- Sea shells
- Dry pasta
- Beads or marbles
My little girls loved using their imaginations to make cupcakes and cookies out of our Valentine’s Day playdough. It kept them entertained for the best part of an hour.
Storage
When you have finished playing with your playdough, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Plastic tubs or glass jars with lids both work well.
If stored correctly, this playdough will last for several months.
Taste Safe
This recipe is taste safe if your little one were to put a small amount of it in their mouths.
However, it should not be eaten and special care should be taken if you have added any extra bits to the playdough (like glitter or beads), if your child is still prone to putting things in their mouths.
I really hope you and your children enjoy making this Valentine’s Day playdough. Please share this post with others and PIN FOR LATER!
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Valentine’s Day Playdough
Equipment
- Kitchen scales
- Teaspoon (tsp)
- Tablespoon (tbsp)
Materials
- 1 cup plain / all-purpose flour (150g)
- ½ cup table salt (150g)
- 2 tbsp cream of tartar approx. 20g
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted approx. 22g
- ½ cup boiling water (110ml)
- 1 tsp red food colouring gel approx. 4ml but amount will depend on brand
Instructions
- Add the flour, salt and cream of tartar to a large bowl and mix well.
- Melt 2 tablespoons (approximately 22ml) of coconut oil in a saucepan or microwave. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix.
- Pour 110ml (1/2 cup) of boiling water into a measuring jug. Add up to 1 teaspoon of red food colouring gel to the water and mix well.If the brand of food colouring gel you are using is highly concentrated then you may not need to use as much to achieve a vibrant red colour.Make sure the boiling water has turned a dark red colour and the gel has dissolved. Then add the water to the other ingredients.
- Combine well using a spoon and then use your hands to thoroughly bring the mixture together to form a dough.
- Use your hands to massage the playdough to make sure all of the ingredients are well combined.If after a while the playdough feels too dry, add a splash of water or coconut oil to add more moisture.If the playdough feels too wet and sticky, add some more flour until it feels like more of a playdough consistency.
