Scented Playdough

Most children really love playdough, and so do I! Playdough is a wonderful material to experiment with, as it can be moulded repeatedly into different shapes, used to make everything from cakes to space rockets and is also great for helping children develop their fine motor skills and finger muscles. This great recipe can be made quickly, lasts for ages (in an airtight box) and has the added advantage of being colourful and smelling wonderful.

The playdough is scented using flavoured tea. Pour a cup of boiling water over a fruit, mint, or other pleasantly scented teabag, and leave it to steep for at least 10 minutes; the longer you leave it, the stronger the scent will be. Many teas will also colour the playdough, although you may need to intensify the colour with some food colouring.

Materials:

1 cup (128 g) flour (sieve if lumpy)
1/2 cup (140 g) of salt
2 tsp (7 g) cream of tartar*
1 cup (240 ml) of cooled tea (or plain water)
1 1/2 Tbs (22 ml) vegetable oil
Food colouring as desired

Instructions:

1. Put the flour, salt and cream of tartar into a bowl and mix together.

2. Add the tea/water and the oil and stir together until smooth. Add the food colouring now if you are using some.

3. Pour the mixture into a pan and on a low heat cook the mixture until it forms one large lump (approximately 5 minutes).

4. Tip the playdough onto a non-stick mat (e.g., a chopping board) and knead for about a minute until it cools down and is no longer sticky.

5. The playdough is now ready to be played with or put it in a loosely covered bowl until it cools completely. Once cool, store in Ziploc bags or an airtight container when not in use.

* Cream of tartar is Weinsteinpulver in German, crème de tartre in French and crema di tartaro in Italian and can be bought from the pharmacy.

Text and pictures by Karen Clayton

Karen is originally from Scotland and now lives in Zurich with her husband and two sons. She is a qualified primary school teacher and now runs her own tutoring business, Smart Owls, offering English tuition for children and workshops for different age groups. More information can be found at smartowls.wordpress.com.