Salt dough is playdough for keeps. A deceptively simple mix of salt, flour, oil and water, salt dough is a soft and malleable modelling material that, like playdough, is easy and cheap to make at home, but has the added dimension of hardening when oven-baked or thoroughly dried in the hot sun. With salt dough your child’s unique creations can be made for keeps.

I’ve written many times before about the benefits for children of getting creative with modelling materials. Playing with and exploring any kind of clay or dough is not only inspiring, creative and fun for children, but also helps develop and strengthen the many little muscles and ligaments in young hands and fingers. These are the same muscles and ligaments that are later asked to hold pens and tie shoelaces, so it’s great to get them moving at any opportunity.

Have you tried salt dough with your children? If not, then give it a go today. As it requires only four everyday ingredients to be mixed cold, you can get the kids involved right from the start. The salt acts as a natural preservative, but also makes the mix so salty that it will (hopefully) deter children popping pieces in their mouths.

Easy salt dough recipe:

1. In a bowl combine 1.5 cups of plain flour with 0.5 cups of salt. Keep in mind that fine salt produces a smooth dough, while using course salt will make the dough’s texture rougher.

2. Make a well in the centre and drop in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Mix to combine, then gradually add 1 cup of cold water, stirring with a wooden spoon as you go.

3. Turn the dough out onto a board and knead it until smooth.

4. Let the kids get creative. Offer a rolling pin, cookie cutters, kitchen utensils, and a shoe! Keep reading to learn why…

5. When their creations are done, leave them in a sunny dry spot or a warm place in front of a heater for a few days or until completely firm and dry. For faster drying bake them slowly in a low oven (around 120 degrees) for a couple of hours, aiming for dryness rather than letting them colour.

What shapes are best?

Salt dough is best suited for flat or thin shapes, rather than tall constructions. It’s perfect for flattening with a rolling pin and easily cut with cookie cutters, so it’s ideal for making shapes that work as hanging decorations. If you’re making items to be hung remember to cut a hole into them before they harden. A drinking straw is ideal for piercing holes through shapes to be threaded, but if you don’t have a straw use a skewer or knitting needle. There may be little shrinkage, so cut the holes slightly bigger than you need them to be.

Popular items you may have seen made from salt dough are handprints and Christmas decorations.

Simple textured shapes using shoes

Use salt dough as a way for children to explore texture. Look around the kitchen for interesting textures… try a sieve, a potato masher, a grater, a fridge magnet, a fork. One of the easiest ways to have fun with textures is to roll balls of dough and then squash them with the sole of your shoe! You’ll be amazed by the range of patterns available on the tread of an average pair of sneakers.

These textured dough disks can then be used as hangings… simply cut a hole in them while they’re still soft, and when dry paint them brightly and thread onto ribbon or string.

Two projects for the price of one!

Split the salt dough project into two stages. The first is making the dough and modelling the creation. The second stage is painting the finished creation once it is fully dry. Any water based kid’s paint should be able to manage this, and you can even seal them with a varnish if you feel inclined.