Inside: Enjoy some sensory fun this February with our homemade strawberry playdough recipe. It smells like strawberries and cream thanks to the strawberry flavoring and vanilla extract!
Making homemade playdough is a fun way to engage the kids in a sensory activity for any holiday. What scent do we associate for Valentine’s Day? For us, it’s strawberry or cherry! So this pretty pink strawberry-scented playdough is perfect for February.
This will provide hours of squishy, scented fun for toddlers and preschoolers. But let’s be honest, older kids love playdough, too. My 8-year-old still loves to play with the stuff, and so do I (in my late 30s).
How to Make Strawberry Playdough
So you’re here for the recipe, right? You’ll find the ingredients and instructions below. All of the ingredients, down to the gold glitter, are taste-safe to make it safe for little ones. You can find edible glitter in the baking aisle in most grocery stores. If you can’t find edible glitter, sprinkles would be super fun to use with this playdough recipe, too.
(Affiliate links are included in the instructions below for your convenience. I earn a small commission on affiliate links at no additional cost to you.)
Ingredients for the Homemade Strawberry Playdough Recipe
1 cup of bleached flour
1 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon extra-fine edible glitter
1 drop pink gel food coloring
1/2 teaspoon strawberry flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions for Strawberry Scented Playdough
1. In a large bowl or pot, mix together your flour, water, cream of tartar, vegetable oil, food coloring and flavoring (for scent) in a large mixing bowl.
2. Scoop the mixture into a saucepan and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly until your mixture turns into dough.
3. Once your dough forms, place it aside to cool off.
4. Roll the dough in extra fine glitter and use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
How long does homemade playdough last?
When stored properly, homemade playdough can last at least six months. The cream of tarter is what makes the dough last so long.
Strawberry Homemade Playdough FAQ
How do you store homemade playdough?
Homemade playdough like this recipe or our road themed playdough, or any playdough for that matter (aside from the edible variety), should be stored in an airtight container or zip top bag. This will help prevent the dough from drying out. If the dough gets too hot or too cold and condensates, you can add flour to stiffen the dough back up. Try to keep the dough at room temperature to prevent this from happening.
How do you keep homemade playdough soft?
If playdough is left out for extended periods, it may become hard. You can add water and knead the dough until it becomes soft again. Add a few drops at a time and continue working the dough until it softens. Do not add too much water at once of you will have runny playdough that needs flour. This method can also be used to soften putty that has hardened as well.
Why is my homemade playdough sticky? How do I fix it?
Humidity can be a problem when making homemade playdough. This can cause the dough to become sticky. The same can be said if the dough is stored in a humid environment without proper storage. You can work flour into the dough to stiffen the dough back up. Add just a little at a time so that the dough doesn’t become too stiff.
Is homemade playdough safe?
There are different types of homemade playdough. Some are meant strictly for play, while others are edible. The recipe below falls somewhere in the middle as it is taste-safe but shouldn’t be consumed. We all had the urge to taste playdough as a child and chances are your children are no different. Thankfully, they won’t be harmed if they taste this dough.
Does homemade playdough stain?
If homemade playdough, or commercial playdough for that matter, becomes wet, it can stain. The key is to properly store the dough. If you notice that it becomes wet, add flour and knead until stiffened up and no longer sticky.
Does homemade playdough mold?
It can. That is another reason it is so important to properly store your dough. If you live in an area that is very humid, consider storing playdough in a container rather than a zip-top bag. If you do use a zip-top bag, always squeeze out all the air. It is always a good idea to inspect playdough that hasn’t been used for a while to make sure there is no mold growth. Be on the lookout for white, fuzzy spots.
Can you freeze homemade playdough?
It is not a good idea to freeze homemade playdough. the change in temperature can cause the water to separate from the other ingredients in the dough. This can cause molecular changes that may make the dough unusable.
