Homemade Playdough Recipe

Kids love playdough. Why? Because they can dig their little fingers into a gooey blob and create something totally cool. I'm a big fan of simple things that encourage creativity and ingenuity in children. But there are two things that bug me about playdough. One, that smell (You know exactly what I'm talking about!). And two, it inevitably ends up embedded in the high-pile carpet, and weeks later you're still scraping away at these irritating bits, now painfully wedged under your fingernails.  At last, here's a simple recipe for homemade playdough . . .perfect for a rainy day!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. warm water
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. salt
• food coloring optional

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a pot and stir over medium heat until smooth.
2. Knead into a ball and allow to cool completely, kneading every few minutes. It becomes more firm as it cools.
3. Store it in a container with lid. It lasts for days.

I wish I could say that Liza loved sinking her fingers into my homemade playdough, and that it supplied us with endless hours of fun. I was all set to whip out the cookie cutters with animals and shapes, but truthfully, she just wanted to eat it. That's what I get for making my own. I guess, in her own way, she loved it too. At least it's not decorating my carpet!