Playdough is always more fun when you make it yourself: your child will love every minute of the process, and be proud of their self-made toys to boot.

Here is the time-honored recipe for making playdough:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon oil
• ¼ cup salt
• food colouring

If you prefer all things natural, you can use beet, spinach or carrot juice for pink, green or orange colours instead of artificial food colouring.

For a nice fragrant smell, add some lemon or orange oil to the recipe.

1. Mix all of the ingredients together, and stir in a pot over low heat. The dough will start thickening.
2. When the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, and clumps in the center, remove the pot from the heat and allow the dough to cool down enough to handle it. NB: If the dough is still sticky, you simply need to cook it for longer.
3. Once it’s dry and cool, turn the dough out onto a clean counter or tray, and knead vigorously until it becomes smooth.
4. Divide the dough into small balls for coloring.
5. Make a hollow in the center of the ball, and drop some food coloring in it. NB: to stop any concentrated dye staining your hands or the counter, use gloves and plastic wrap.
6. Fold the dough over, working the food color through the body of the playdough. If necessary, add more dye to get the colour that you or your kids want.

And there you have it! Time to start playing with it. Give your little ones a kickstart for some ideas of where to start with the creativity and learning.

For example, they can:

• Roll the dough into thin strips and make letters of the alphabet with it
• Roll them into small beads, then string it on some thread or floss for a necklace
• Build houses with toothpicks and other props
• Make “fossils” with toy dinosaurs.

This dough will last a long time, as long as you keep it stored in an airtight container.

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