My first-grader has always been fond of playing play-doh and the like. Ever since he was still around 3-years-old, he has been fond of forming or building things during playtime. He also always uses clay for his school activities so in a month's time we would buy clay sets not only once but several times. I'm really amazed at the things and figures my child is able to form out of his imagination from playing clays though that's why I fully support his fondness. I became interested in making home-made clay out of regular ingredients found in my own kitchen when my kid's teacher taught them how to make their own clay. How about you guys, have you ever tried making clay out of your kitchen finds? Are your kids fond of playing with clay too? I would love to hear your stories.
Of course! When I was a child, my mother used to make some polymer clay material for me. Since she was tired of running so often to the craft store for expensive polymer clay needed to complete my home school assignments. Anyway, Homemade clays dry easily when exposed to air so they do not have to be heated in an oven to harden. While homemade clays are not the same as store-bought polymer clay, they can work well for shaping many items if prepared and used correctly.
I have made homemade play doh for my kids since they were toddlers. It's made with ingredients you find in your kitchen, totally non toxic so safe for kids and pets. I like the recipe where you cook it on the stove. I find it gives the play doh a nice stretchy texture. It's so much cheaper to make your own than buy it at the store. If you store in a zip lock bag or sealed container it keeps for a long time. Here is the recipe I use2.5 cups water1 1/4 c. salt1 1/2 tbsp. cream of tartar5 tbsp. vegetable oil2.5 cups flourMix everything together in a large pot.Cook over a low heat. Mix frequently. Keep mixing until it has a nice doughy texture and pulls away from the sides of the pot.Knead on a counter to work the dough. Add food colouring.Keep in large Ziplock bag or sealed container.I like to add food colouring to the dough. You can also add scents like cinnamon or peppermint.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe purplepen88! This is pretty much how I also make my child's home-made clay. I haven't tried adding scents though so thank you for giving me an idea on that. It's really much better to create home-made things for children because they're cheaper and a lot safer since we know that we're the ones who made them.
So far I have found that mixing equal parts of flour, salt and water make a great playdoh consistancy. I have always wondered how to make clay though. I am homechooling our kiddos, and of course buying materials gets pricey, especially to buy clay every other week because it dries out. I need to make it DIY!
We have the same problem when it comes to clays drying out after awhile so we also have to buy every now and then because my son uses them a lot not only in school but also when he's at home. I believe that clays help a lot in enhancing a child's creativity that's why as messy as it can get sometimes, I still encourage my child to go on and continue with his creative activities using clays.
For a clay-like recipe, I always use 1 cup flour, 1 cup salt,1/2 cup water (add more as needed), optional to add food coloring... I also discovered a play-doh like recipe and it calls for 1 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup conditioner (yes, hair conditioner) and it turns out so smooth and soft!
Using a conditioner in making clay is something new to me @ashley0323. I never thought about a hair conditioner as an ingredient for making clay so thanks for sharing about it. I could just imagine how good the smell of the clay will be if made with conditioner.
