Really Red Play Dough

Letting children help in the kitchen does more than keep them busy. They are actually learning Science & Motor Skills. One of the things we do in our kitchen is make play dough. Learning and saving money…you can’t beat it. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought we would make “Really Red Play Dough".





Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Red food coloring, one packet of Fruit Punch Kool-Aid or ½ container of Cran-Grape Crystal Light


In saucepan,or large bowl, mix all dry ingredients with a spoon. Next, add a generous amount of food coloring, the oil, and water. Mix well. When all the ingredients are combined, place the pot on the stove. Set the burner on medium heat, stirring constantly!
Once the dough has formed a ball, remove it from the stove. I set the dough on a piece of wax paper to cool. When the dough is cool, I like to add a little flour. Then, knead the dough until it’s a nice consistency.

Optional Fun…

*Instead of food coloring and Kool-Aid, you can use Beet Juice or Cocoa.

>Language Development: Engage the child in dialogue during play. Talk about how the dough smells, looks and feels.

*Storage: Store in a plastic container or a Ziploc bag for about a week.