A squish & a squeeze
Cream of Tartar. For years it’s been a staple in my pantry, but those little brown tins, with their slightly retro-looking vibe, are something I buy for one purpose only - making playdough. As an ingredient I’ve never given Cream of Tartar much thought, but apparently it’s an organic bi-product of the wine industry, and useful for stabilizing egg whites as well as a whole raft of handy household jobs. Who knew? Not me!
What I did know, however, is that playdough is a perennial favourite with children, and good for building little hand muscles and inspiring little imaginations. Super easy to make at home, there’s often no reason not to whip up a batch.
You’ll find a wide variety of playdough recipes on line, including microwave, non-cook and gluten-free versions – even some that are minus Cream of Tartar! But this is the old reliable recipe I use:
Home-made playdough
1 cup of plain flour
1 cup of water
½ cup of salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
a few drops of food colouring
Mix together all ingredients and cook over a medium heat in a greased saucepan. Keep turning in the centre. The mixture is cooked when it forms one springy mass. Remove it from the saucepan and, when cool enough, knead the mixture until the right texture is achieved.
To add colours roll lumps into balls, poke a hole with your thumb and add a few drops of food colouring. Knead to spread through the ball. You might also add some glitter, scented oil, texture (eg. sand, rice). Playdough will keep for several months in an airtight container in the fridge.
Hello echidna! It’s amazing who shows up when playdough comes out. Just add twigs and your imagination.
Home-made paint
While you are it, home-made paint is another product you can whip up easily in the kitchen. Like playdough there seem to be a gazillion different recipes and methods suggested, but the most basic old method (I think) is as follows:
Combine a cup plain flour and a cup of salt.
Gradually blend in enough water (1-2 cups) stirring to remove lumps.
Divide mixture into portions and add a colour of food dye to each.
Offer with paper and paintbrushes… or just fingers
Have fun!
Note: I’ve noticed some playdough and paint recipes on the internet are deliberately edible and include sweet ingredients. Both of the recipes I’ve offered above taste salty and yuck (even though they’re made from non-toxic ingredients). I prefer this as I don’t think eating food dye is a particularly good choice, and wonder whether encouraging kids to taste playdough and paint might cause confusion later on when they come across non-edible versions.
