Have you Tried? if you add vanilla extract to homemade play dough, it helps preserve the dough, prevent mold, and makes it smell nice. Peppermint extract works too adding sparkles to play dough adding baby powder for a fresh scent New Ideas for Playdough? How about hammers(platic ones) and golf tees. Kids can hammer them into the play-doh. You could also add plastic knives as saws. Put constuction hats in the area for kids to wear when playing. You could add small blocks for kids to put play-doh on or build off of. c.2007 - 2008 |
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| Sculpture & Modeling |
| Recipes for Modeling Clay
Edible Play Dough yields about 2-1/2 cups of fun: 1 cup powdered dry milk 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup honey In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill. Shape into faces, letters, shapes, etc. or cut out with cookie cutters. If mixture is too sticky, roll in additional powdered milk. Decorate with raisins or candy if desired. Quick and Easy Modeling Dough 3/4 c Flour (not self-rising) 1/2 c Salt 1 1/2 t Powdered alum 1 1/2 t Vegetable Oil 1/2 c Boiling Water Food Coloring 1. Mix flour, salt, and alum in a mixing bowl. 2. Add vegetable oil and boiling water. Stir vigorously with a spoon until well blended. Dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl and should be cool enough to handle. 3. Add food coloring and knead into dough until color is well blended and the dough is the desired tint. Makes about 1 cup. Double the recipe for large projects. For groups, mix several double recipes rather than one large amount. The is an excellent play dough. It has a smooth texture, takes about 15 minutes to make, and dries to a hard finish overnight. You can you can make lovely dough flowers as well as animals and other figures with it. Store in a jar with a tight lid. Dough will keep several months without refrigeration. Play Dough 2 cups flour 3 tbsp cream of tartar ½ cup salt 4 tbsp oil ½ cup boiling water food coloring Mix dry ingredients together. Mix oil, food coloring and boiling water in a separate container. Stir liquid mixture until cool enough to knead. Knead until smooth. If play-dough is too dry, add more water, a little at a time. If play-dough is too crumbly, knead in a small amount of oil. Store in an airtight container. No-Cook Play Dough 4 cups flour 1 cup salt 4 tbsp oil 1 ½ cup water Mix oil and food color together before adding to dry mixture. Mix until pliable. Keep in container or plastic bag. Kool-Aid Play Dough 2 cups flour 1 cup salt 1 package of Kool-Aid 1 cup hot water Combine ingredients and mix. Lavender Flower Play Dough 3 cups flour 2 cups water ¾ cups salt 3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons cream of tartar 1/8 cup violet powdered tempera paint 10-20 drops lavender flower essential oil purple glitter In a large pot, mix together the first five ingredients until smooth. Place the pot over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture forms a large ball. While the mixture is still warm, place it on a floured cutting board and knead in additional flour until the dough has a silky texture. Add powdered paint and lavender essential oil and knead thoroughly. Sprinkle with purple glitter and knead again. Store in an airtight container. Pumpkin Pie Play Dough 5 ½ cups flour 2 cups salt 8 teaspoons cream of tartar ¾ cup oil 1 container (1 1/12 ounces) pumpkin pie spice orange food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red) 4 cups water Mix all ingredients together. Cook and stir over medium heat until lumps disappear. Knead the dough on floured surface until smooth. Red Rose Play Dough 3 cups flour ¾ cup salt 3 tablespoons cream of tartar 1/8 cup powdered red tempera paint 1/8 cup red glitter 2 cups water 2 tablespoons cooking oil 10 drops rose-scented potpourri oil Mix the dry ingredients together in a large, heavy pot. Stir in the water, oil and potpourri scent until the mixture is smooth. Continue to stir the mixture over medium heat until it forms a ball. Put the dough onto a floured board, and knead it until it is cool. Sparkling Peppermint Play Dough 2 cups water 2 cups flour 1 cup salt 4 teaspoons cream of tartar 4 tablespoons oil 4 tablespoons peppermint extract Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Form dough into a ball, place on waxed paper, and allow to cool. Gingerbread Play Dough 2 cups flour 1 cup salt 1 tbsp. ground ginger 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 cup water Mix together and knead until smooth. Sparkling Snow Dough 2 cups water 2 cups flour 1 cup salt 4 tsp. cream of tartat 4 tsp. oil iridescent glitter Combine ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. until mixture thickens and pulls away from sides of pan. Form dough into a ball, place on waxed paper and cool. Knead in glitter. Chocolate-Scented Play Dough (Non-Edible) 1 ¼ cups flour ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup salt ½ tablespoon cream of tartar 1 ½ tablespoons cooking oil 1 cup boiling water Mix the dry ingredients. Add the oil and boiling water. Stir quickly, mixing well. When cool, mix with your hands. Peanut Butter Play Dough (Edible) Combine all equal parts of peanut butter and powdered milk. Add a little honey, until it is the consistency of clay. Nutty Putty (Edible) 3 ½ cups peanut butter 4 cups powdered sugar 3 ½ cups corn syrup or honey 4 cups powdered milk chocolate chips (optional) Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips. Divide mixture into 15-20 portions, place into plastic bags and refrigerate. Children mold dough, add chocolate chips for decorations, and eat. Coffee Play Dough 2 cups used coffee grounds 1 ½ cups cornmeal ½ cup salt water flour Mix all ingredients until pliable. Add water, flour as needed to achieve a working consistency. Toothpaste Putty ½ tsp toothpaste (cream not gel) 1 tsp white glue 2 tsp cornstarch ½ tsp water Mix toothpaste, glue and cornstarch. Add water until you have a lump of putty. Putty should clean dish. Wash and dry hands. Squeeze and roll putty into a ball, the more it is rolled and pulled the better it gets. Will begin to dry in 20 minutes. Just add a drop of water to soften. Will dry rock hard in 24 hours. Oatmeal Play Dough 1 part flour 1 part water 2 parts oatmeal Mix well and knead. Cloud Play Dough 1 cup cornstarch 2 cups baking soda 1 ½ cups water Combine all ingredients in pan. Bring to a boil, then pour onto plate and cover with a damp cloth. Place in refrigerator for ½ hour then knead for 3-4 minutes. Sand Play Dough ½ cup sand ½ cup cornstarch ½ cup boiling water Mix ingredients together and knead. Sawdust Play Dough 1 cup sawdust ½ cup wall paper paste water Mix sawdust and paste together adding enough water to form a soft putty like mixture. SILLY PUTTY 1 cup white glue 1 cup liquid starch food coloring plastic container with lid Mix the glue and food color in plastic container. Add starch a little at a time, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until mixture looks rubbery like putty. Add more starch if it is too runny. Store in an airtight container. Sawdust Modeling Clay Materials: 4 cups sifted sawdust, 1½ cups dry wallpaper paste, ¼ cup plaster of paris Procedure: Mix ingredients together and add water to make mixture the consistency of clay. Let projects dry naturally in the sun or a well-ventilated place. To store the mixture, cover with a damp cloth or plastic bag. Frosting Play Dough 1 can Frosting Mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup peanut butter (creamy) Mix together until it reaches your wanted consistency. Magic Clay Materials: 1 cup cornstarch 2 cups salt 1 1/3 cups cold water Procedure: Put salt and 2/3 cup water in pan and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch with 2/3 cup water and mix well. Blend 2 mixtures together and knead into clay. The dough has to be heated as it is combined to set. Makes about 3 cups. This clay can be air dried and then painted. Store unused clay in airtight container in the fridge. Moon Craters Materials Needed: Liquid Starch Rock Salt Glue with food coloring Procedure: Mix 1/2 cup of liquid starch with 2 cups of rock salt and 1/2 cup of glue plus food coloring or tempera. This makes a gooey, rocky mixture. Let the children freely pile onto cardboard to create a three dimensional structure. These will crystallize and dry hard. Clay you can Eat 1 Cup Cocoa 1 1/4 Cup Powdered Milk 1 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar 1 Cup Corn Syrup Mix Cocoa, powder milk and powder sugar. Add the corn syrup slowly, mixing well. Mold into shapes on way paper Craft Dough 1 cup flour 1/3 cup salt 6-8 tbsp. water Mix together dry ingredients. Add the water a tbsp. at a time, using only enough to mix the flour and salt into a pliable mass. Pat out to 1/4 to 1/2 " thick. Cut with cookie cutters or you hands. Bake at 300 degrees until hard. This craft dough is used for thing you want to harden. This makes great Christmas ornaments; just punch a hole in the dough with a straw before you bake them. Paint after they have cooled. Activity Ideas Shadowboxes Pain the inside of a shoebox with black or dark blue poster or acrylic paint. Alternatively, you can glue black construction paper inside the box. Using white crayons or stickers, make a night scene with stars and the moon on the black background. Get creative, use small plastic toys to create a scene inside your shadowbox, or make your own with construction paper and glue. Cut out small pictures from coloring books and color and adhere to your scene. Hang a spaceship or shooting star with a piece of string and glue. Hand Prints Mix the flour, salt, and alum in a large bowl. Slowly add water and stir until you get a nice clay consistency. When it is mixed well, put it on a pastry board or wax paper. Roll out. Make sure the clay is at least ½ inch thick or it will be too thin for the hand print. You have enough to make several. Have the child press their hands into the shape. Carve in the center their name and age. Cover with a plate but do not press this on the image. The plate is a pattern so you can cut out a circle. Make a hole in the top for hanging. Make sure it is large enough for a ribbon to go through. Be aware the finished product will shrink. Use a cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Check it at 25 minutes since different ovens cook at different rates. Turn it over and bake another 25 to 30 minutes. When it is done remove it from the oven. Let it cool before you try to take it off the cookie sheet. If there are any rough edges, sand with fine sandpaper, the kind sold at ceramic or craft shops. Now you are ready to spray paint it. Paint both sides. Spray it outside or in an area with plenty of ventilation. Cats and Dogs To create the body, roll a two inch roll of clay. To create the head, roll a ball of clay. Pinch out the type of ears you need, either floppy or pointy. Roll a small piece for the tail. The legs are 1 inch rolls of clay. To attach the pieces you use a little water and press to the body. Shape the snout with your hand. The other details you will add with acrylic paint after it is baked. Creating animal shapes will take practice but if it doesn't work the first time, simply roll it back into a ball and start over again. If the clay starts to dry, add some water. When the animal is to your liking place it flat on a cookie sheet and bake. Finish off the painting details after it cools. Butterflies Butterflies are more delicate, the body is a thin, delicate oblong about an inch. Create the wings are made separately. Roll them out with a child-sized rolling pin. The wings resemble heart shapes on their sides. You can make your own, or use a heart shaped cookie cutter. .Attach to the body. Use a little water to fuse these together. Add thin antennas. The butterfly will be beautiful once it is baked and dried and you add colorful details with paint. Use the magic marker for a dot on each side of the body for the eyes and to color the antenna. Beads Once you start making your own clay you can find many other projects. Beads are fun and easy. Additional materials: Drinking straws or wood pencils, Toothpicks, Styrofoam block or corrugated egg carton, Length of leather long enough for a necklace Follow the orginial recipe above and roll out your clay with a child-sized rolling pin. Use a blunt knife and cut strips from 1" to 2" in length and about 1" side. Roll this over the straw or pencil. TIP: You can use a cooking spray to make it easy to release the beads. Let them dry. Remove the beads and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in over as above. Don't worry if the beads come out in different shapes and sizes. That adds to the unique quality of the necklaces you'll make with the finished products. When you paint your beads you'll find it easier and less messy to use toothpicks to dip the bead in paint. Then stick the toothpick in Styrofoam or an empty egg carton to let the paint dry. When the beads are completely dry, string on a leather strip with the largest bead in the center. |
| Prop Box Resources Include the following collections of objects and materials for children to create, discover, and use for imaginary play. Store collections in boxes or baskets to be accessible at any time (indoors or outdoors) for children to enhance their play. Tools for cutting Tools for rolling Tools for carving Tools for pressing (potato masher, Play Dough press) cookie cutters textured rolling pins clay mallets rolling wheel cutter Play Dough Plastercine Earth Clay Bees Wax Silly Putty "Scultpy" |
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| "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but
not one bit simpler." - Albert Einstein |
| Visual Arts Directory Painting Collage Sculpture & Modeling Drawing |
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