Department of Health
John J. Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, Commissioner

Simple Play Dough Recipes

These recipes are non-toxic and easy to create. You can make wonderful items with basic household kitchen items. Let children help with the mixing and measuring. Have the whole family join in and create works of art, then have an art show to show off everyone’s work!

Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough
1-18 ounce jar of peanut butter
6 tablespoons of honey

Be sure to wash hands before making this one! Mix items with dry milk until you get the desired consistency for molding. Raisins** make a great addition or can be used to decorate creations!
**Raisins and peanut butter can cause choking in children less than 4 years old.

Basic Play Dough
3 cups flour
¼ cup salt
1 tablespoon oil
Plastic bags or storage container

Mix 3 cups flour with ¼ cup salt. Add 1 cup water with coloring and 1 tablespoon oil, gradually. Keep dough stored in plastic bags or a covered container.

Musical Instruments

Create musical instruments from regular household items – this is a great way to spend time with the kids. The instruments can be used to create music to dance to or create a marching band to go on “parade”.

Spool shaker – paint designs and decorate a large, empty thread spool. Force four pipe cleaners through the center of the spool. Attach a Christmas bell to the end of the pipe cleaner by bending.

Plate shaker – decorate two paper plates with crayons or paint. Put pebbles, dried corn, beans or peas between the two plates and staple or sew them together with bright yarn or string.

Box Shaker – Place small pebbles, beans or seeds in a small box or empty clean milk carton to make a shaker. It can be used with or without a handle. Decorate as desired.

Tambourine – hang bottle caps by thin wire, pipe cleaners or string to a decorated paper or tin foil plate.

Drum – Glue on the lid to a salt box, a cereal bowl or an ice cream tub and decorate. You can also use large tin cans, like restaurant size, and cover the end with canvas or heavy paper stretched and laced to cover the sides.

Drumsticks – Mold balls of paper pulp on the end of two sticks. When this is dry, paint the sticks – or – just use the eraser end of a pencil!