Make your own playdough - its easy and fun for all!

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I make playdough for my kids and also for my playgroup. It is easy and cost effective. There are two types that I make depending on the time that I have. There is the cooked variety and the uncooked variety, the type you cook lasts longer and has a better consistancy I think, but the kids don't seem to mind either type. Cooked playdough: 3 cups plain flour 1.5 cups of salt 6 tsp cream of tartar 3 tablesp oil 3 cups of water 3 tsp of vanilla extract 1. Disolve the salt and water together in an old pot (I bought my pot from the second hand shop for 50c!) 2. Pour the rest of the ingredients in with the salty water. 3. Stir constantly over a medium heat until it all combines and forms into a large single ball. 4. Take off the heat and allow to cool until warm enough to handle and then knead with your hands (I put it in a plastic bag to knead so it doesn't mess my fingers up). Make sure that you only give it to your children when it has cooled. Uncooked Playdough: 1/2 cup of salt 2 cups of plain flour 1/2 cup of water You can get the kids help you make this one! Just mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and knead with your hands until smooth consistancy. You may need to add more water if it seems to dry. The playdough should be kept in an airtight container or zip lock bags. I like to reward my kids for good behaviour by using their favourite colour food colour to the mixed playdough. Simply roll the dough into balls and put a small impression in the ball with your finger and add one drop of the colouring and then cover over with some playdough. Let the kids squash the colour through, they love it! You can also add some glitter too for a bit of fun, but this can prove to cause more mess! If your dough does dry out add some water and knead it through until you have a smooth consistancy. I find that storing the playdough in ziplocked bags in the fridge makes it keep longer, also the addition of vanilla extract or peppermint extract will keep the mould at bay. Have fun with your dough, please share your playdough stories with me!