There are tons of homemade playdough recipes out there, but this one is truly the BEST playdough recipe. Just like store-bought and it lasts forever. Make it today!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy something through a link on my site, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you. See my disclosure to learn more.
Truth: I have never bought playdough for my kids…and yet, it’s one of their favorite toys. How is that even possible?
It’s because I have an awesome homemade playdough recipe that is just as good (or better) than the name brand stuff at the store and about a gazillion times cheaper.
Now, I’ve tried lots of playdough recipes over the years, but I keep coming back to the same one. I found it on We Love Being Moms a couple of years ago (it’s their favorite out of 10 recipes they experimented with), and it’s stood the test of time for me as well.
I’ve made probably close to a dozen batches in the last three years (including this pumpkin spice version), and it’s practically perfect in every way.
(Update 6/13/2020: Three MORE years later, this is still the only recipe I use. I’ve now made it countless times. It’s great for a little homemade gift, for making play dates extra special, and for restocking my own supply whenever we want a new color…like when somebody mixes the colors all together so all we have left is brown. #lifewithtoddlers)
Why is this the best playdough recipe?
- It’s not greasy. I hate when play dough leaves my hands or my table feeling gross from too much oil.
- It lasts forever. Most homemade playdough I’ve made dries out too quickly and I end up throwing it away after a few days. But this stuff is still good as new 6 months later. As long as you store it in a zippered bag (and squeeze the extra air out), it will last 6-12 months!
- It’s super cheap. Flour, water, salt & oil. All easy, low-cost ingredients. The only thing you may have to go to the store for is cream of tartar, and that’s certainly not going to break the bank. (Tip: I buy cream of tartar in the bulk spice section of Sprouts, and it’s cheaper than buying the bottle at the grocery store.)
- It only takes 5 minutes. Now, you do have to cook this recipe on the stove, but it’s so fast. Literally, you just dump everything in a pot, stir & cook until it forms a ball, and knead it a bit to smooth it out. And…done!
Convinced? Here’s how to make it:
The BEST homemade playdough
There are tons of homemade playdough recipes out there, but this one is truly the BEST playdough recipe. Just like store-bought and it lasts forever.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable Oil
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- Food coloring (4 drops-ish)
Instructions
- Dump all ingredients in a pot. Order doesn’t matter.
- Stir everything together until it’s mostly uniform.
- Turn stove on to medium heat, and stir the dough begins to solidify and form a ball in the middle of the pot.
- Carefully (it WILL be hot), remove the play dough to cutting board (or I just slapped it down on my granite counter top). Knead until smooth and cool enough for little hands to touch.
- Play away!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Want more simple play activities for kids? Try these:
I’ve never used cream of tartar or oil in mine and it always dries out! Definitely need to give this a try. Now to go get some cream of tartar from the store. Good excuse to make snicker doodles!
Yeah, cream of tartar is the only thing I sometimes run out of, but I’ve started buying it from the bulk spice bins (way cheaper), and so I keep a good supply on hand now. And, yes, this playdough really does stay super soft!
Great reminder I need to make some more! So much cheaper than buying the little tubs they forget to cover up anyways! Tks!
I’m all for saving money! Thanks, Priscilla.
I’ll have to give this one a try. Seems easy enough – since I always have these ingredients on hand!
That’s one of the things I love about this recipe. It’s super basic.
My Evie and I made this same “Pluto” as she calls it, but we substituted the food coloring with kool aid packets. It made our play dough smell delicious and look vibrant!
Oooh, I love the idea of using Kool-aid. I made a pumpkin spice version in the fall that smelled great, so I’d love to make another good-smelling version. Thanks for sharing!
Eeeek! I have to give this a shot!!
I’m going to try this! I’ve been hesitant to do playdough recipes that you cook but this really does sound easy. Thanks for sharing!
Inez, it really only takes five minutes, and I have NEVER had a batch flop. It always turns out well. I hope you do try it!
Finally tried this today and it worked great. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Glad to hear it! We still make it as our go-to recipe.
Have you tried doubling this recipe or do you recommend just making batch after batch. I need to make enough for 33 kindergarten student 🙂
You can definitely double or triple it if you use a larger pot. I usually just make small batches because my boys like to have a variety of colors, but for your situation… Yes! Make a big batch!
So fun! How do you store this so it last so long?
I just put it in a plastic ziploc bag and squeeze all the extra air out before I zip it up. Enjoy!