You will need: • 1 cup salt • 2 Tbsp cream of tartar • 2 Tbsp oil • A few drops of food colouring • 2 cups boiling water • 2 cups plain flour • A large bowl • A strong mixing spoon • Some measuring cups or coffee cups • Some extra flour for kneading

You can:

1. Mix salt, cream of tartar, oil, food colouring and boiling water in a bowl

2. Add flour and stir together quickly

3. Stir with spoon until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl

4. Tip out onto lightly floured surface and knead with hands when cool enough

5. Use dough to make or cut shapes, build, squeeze, pinch, roll, join, plait, coil and make snakes, people or animals

You can also:

• Use biscuit cutters

• Cut with knives and forks

• Squeeze through a garlic crusher

• Make dough gardens (use the dough as a base for pushing sticks, twigs or flowers into)

• Make letters

Did you know:

• Playdough can last for up to two weeks if you store it in an airtight container (e.g. a clean, empty ice cream container)

• Playing with playdough makes your child’s hands strong and flexible

What your child is learning:

• To use materials to make shapes and simple sculptures

• That they can try and try again

• That they can shape and reshape

• To be thoughtful, imaginative and creative

• To pinch and squeeze. These skills are an important first step in being able to hold a pencil correctly for writing