Easy homemade playdough – made with nontoxic dyes

Looking for an easy homemade playdough recipe that’s fun, colorful, and made with kid-friendly ingredients? This natural playdough is quick and easy, and is made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

Why make your own playdough?

Making your own playdough is a great way to avoid unnecessary additives. It's one of the nontoxic craft materials for kids we choose to make at home instead of buying from the store.

It is inexpensive and easy to make! Kids can have fun helping with the process of making the dough, and also have fun playing with it.

Why use natural dyes for homemade playdough?

Using natural dyes for playdough ensures your child can play without being exposed to potentially harmful chemicals. Their growing bodies can be easily overwhelmed and chances are they will touch their mouth and face while playing.

You can totally make your own dyes by boiling various produce in water, then using that water in your playdough recipe. But an easier way to dye your dough is by using Natural Earth Paints pigments. They contain no added fillers, heavy metals, petrochemicals, additives, preservatives or stabilizers. You can buy a sample box of all the colors here.

What you need for homemade playdough with natural dyes

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup salt, blended fine in blender (optional, but makes for smoother dough)

1 cup water

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 TBSP oil

Natural Earth pigments

Directions to make homemade playdough with natural dyes

1. Start by blending salt in the blender to create a fine dust. This step is optional, but will make your playdough softer and less messy!
2. Add flour, salt and cream of tarter to a small saucepan.
3. Add water, and oil to saucepan.
4. Cook on low heat, stir constantly until the dough turns into a ball (about 5 minutes). You should be able to poke it with your finger and it shouldn't be sticky.
5. Separate dough into bowls, 3-6 depending on how many colors you want to make.
6. Add 1/2 tsp of pigment from Natural Earth Paint to each bowl. I used Emerald Green, Ultramarine Purple, Mayan Red, Brilliant Yellow and Ultramarine Blue.
7. Using the back of the spoon, mix dough until color is well blended. Finish blending it evenly with your hands.
8. Store playdough in an airtight container for up to a month (keep in fridge between uses).