Mom, can we buy play-doh?

This morning, Eliana was watching some TV while I was enjoying a cup of coffee as the snow fell outside the warmth of the house.  Today seemed like the umpteenth time that my kids were home for the day on a school day.  While I love having them here, we're beginning to run out of new and exciting things to do and going a little stir crazy.  This winter has brought us so many snow days and delays that Eliana now wakes up each morning, comes into my room and says: "Mom, do I have school today?!" secretly hoping (although is it really such a secret?) that she, once again, doesn't have school.

The great thing about kids programming is all the commercials for toys, games, and other miscellaneous crap (said no mom ever!).  But this morning I had an idea.  When Eliana saw a commercial for play-doh, she asked if we could buy some.  Honestly, I dread the idea of play-doh.  I find it crumbled all over my house, dried into the carpet, on the couch, in between the tiles in my kitchen - despite my endless protests to please keep the play-doh on the designated cookie tray.  This happens, well, never!

I, however, had the bright idea that making our own play dough would be a fun snow day activity.  I'd done it before with Eliana; how hard could it be?!  The great thing about homemade play dough is that it takes a much longer time to dry out than the store bought stuff.  So I scoured my recipe box in search of the DIY play dough recipe Eliana brought home when she was in preschool.  This recipe is super easy and only requires ingredients that we all (for the most part) always keep in our kitchens. 

 

 

This recipe calls for:

 

- 2 cups flour

- 1/2 cup salt

- 2 Tbsp cream of tartar

- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 1/2 cups boiling water

- food coloring

 

We doubled the recipe to make sure we had enough for all the colors of the rainbow!  Begin by combining the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and vegetable oil in a medium bowl.  Slowly (and carefully if little hands are helping!) add the boiling water.

 

 

Continue mixing the ingredients until they form a soft dough.  Be careful not to add too much water, otherwise the dough will become sticky.  Allow the dough to cool completely before adding color.

 

I separated our dough into six piles.  Be sure to wear gloves when adding to food coloring (otherwise your hands will look like rainbows - like mine!).  We made red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple play dough and had enough to fill six of the take and toss containers which I found in Target.

 

This was a fun, easy way to do something the kids could help with and then enjoy their efforts afterwards.  I realize that you may be thinking that this doesn't really fall within the scope of "health and wellness" but I disagree.  I am well because I am whole - I am not just an athlete, I have so many more titles, and one of them (personally, my favorite!) is Mom.  I love doing activities with my kids and that is one of the ways we stay fit as a family.  It was a little cold for my liking to do much playing outside, so we found a way to keep active inside!  We had fun making blueberry pancakes, cars, and even snowmen in honor of the snow day with our homemade play dough!  Best. Snow day. Ever!