As much as I loathe cleaning up play dough (especially when it manages to track onto our carpet..and somehow it always does), we have a lot of fun making our own dough. It's a great rainy day project that includes both cooking & playing, providing much entertainment for the little ones!
Making your own play dough is incredibly easy & inexpensive. Here's the recipe we use:
ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, food coloring
1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a pot, over low heat.
2. Keep moving until the dough is no longer sticky. (if it's still sticky, it needs to cook longer)
3. Place on wax paper to cool for a few minutes.
4. Repeat, creating different batches of color.
5. Play!