Rainy Day Rescue: Fruity Playdough

After our taste of Spring last week where we spent every spare moment outside, the rainy days we've been having seem to have brought on a bit more "cabin fever" than usual. I've been trying to keep my little people busy, but nothing was holding their attention very long. Then I remembered the playdough.

Playdough is a hit in my house but I loathe store-bought playdough. It is expensive, it smells funny, it's crumbly (and those teeny tiny crumbs find their way into every crack and crevice!) and it doesn't last very long. I had tried making my own playdough that you cook on the stove but I didn't like that either. It seemed to be even more prone to drying out and well, it had a weird odor as well! A few months ago I saw a recipe for "Fruity Playdough" and quickly copied and pasted it into my recipe file. We have made this several times now and we love it! I'm happy to report that it lasts a very long time, is not prone to crumbling and does not smell funny. It's definitely a winner in my book!

Fruity Play Dough

1 cup flour
1 package Kool-Aid (any flavor)
*1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup salt
3/4 cup boiling water

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl and add oil. Pour boiling water into flour mixture and mix thoroughly. (You may need to add a few more spoonfuls of flour to get it to the right consistency.) After it has cooled a little, knead it with your hands until smooth. Store in an air tight container and keep in the refrigerator. The play dough should last a few months.

*This last time that I made playdough I did not have cream of tartar so I substituted it with one tablespoon of flour. The playdough turned out just the same. From now on I won't be adding it....that little jar of cream of tartar can be expensive!