Playdough Alternatives?
 

I have had it with this messy stuff! Does anyone have suggestions on a similar product that doesn't crumble all over the place and doesn't dry out so quickly? I have used air-dry clay, and like it much better, but I am looking for something that is reusable. I'm not interested in homemade, nor in the ones that come in 4 pound tubs (storage issues). I am looking at Play Clay Factory brand and one by Alex Toys...anyone have suggestions?

I don't understand what you mean that it dries out fast. As long as the lid is put back on after use or homemade is stored in a ziplock bag it keeps for months and months. I stopped doing daycare in June and my granddaughter just used my homemade kind this past weekend and it was fine.

A little confused....

Laurel

Mine doesn't dry out or crumble either. I use homemade or brand name only. I have seen off brands that were gross. Mine tends to be too 'wet/sticky'. It lasts forever and never dries out if the tops are put on after use.

I use trays (big art or serving style trays) the tools go in a bowl in the middle of the table, and each child picks a color and it stays on their tray. A few stray pieces do end up on the floor, and I let them dry out then vacuum at the end of the day. Works well here.

Modeling clay is too hard for my kids to shape/manage well. The benefits outweigh the minor mess of it, and it's something the kids chose to play with daily here.

Originally Posted by daycarediva:
Mine doesn't dry out or crumble either. I use homemade or brand name only. I have seen off brands that were gross. Mine tends to be too 'wet/sticky'. It lasts forever and never dries out if the tops are put on after use.

I use trays (big art or serving style trays) the tools go in a bowl in the middle of the table, and each child picks a color and it stays on their tray. A few stray pieces do end up on the floor, and I let them dry out then vacuum at the end of the day. Works well here.

Modeling clay is too hard for my kids to shape/manage well. The benefits outweigh the minor mess of it, and it's something the kids chose to play with daily here.

I use brand name as well.....you get what you pay for! :D

I know you said you didn't want to use homemade... However, it's a fun activity to have the kids help mix it up with you. We did it this week. The kids almost had more fun making it than playing with it. ;) I keep mine in the fridge (mainly for easy access) and the last batch lasted over a year. It was still fine when I threw it out but figured it had enough germs on it by now that I should be thrown out. :D

I NEVER have luck with homemade. Where am I going wrong?!

Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
I NEVER have luck with homemade. Where am I going wrong?!

I was just going to say this! Every time I make it, I don't even want to play with it..lol

I make ours, and it lasts for months. I've also bought the scented kind from Discount School Supply, and it lasted quite awhile. We're big on playdough here--couldn't give it up!

Originally Posted by Laurel:
I don't understand what you mean that it dries out fast. As long as the lid is put back on after use or homemade is stored in a ziplock bag it keeps for months and months. I stopped doing daycare in June and my granddaughter just used my homemade kind this past weekend and it was fine.

A little confused....

Laurel

I do put the covers on tightly after use, but Play Doh gets lots of use at my house-my own kids might play with it for 2 hours at a time on a weekend...my toddler is obsessed with it. I use the Play Doh Plus because someone told me that is was softer and lasted longer, but I don't see it. I don't like the way that, even when it is still moldable, it crumbles and I end up picking little pieces of Play Doh off the chairs, table, and floor (I often cover the table with freezer paper to help with clean up).

I guess I'm looking for something less likely to break into small pieces with more "stretch" to it than Play Doh. Home made? I just don't want to make it-I want to find something that I can buy easily for when I don't have the time to make it (usually).

Originally Posted by butterfly:
I know you said you didn't want to use homemade... However, it's a fun activity to have the kids help mix it up with you. We did it this week. The kids almost had more fun making it than playing with it. ;) I keep mine in the fridge (mainly for easy access) and the last batch lasted over a year. It was still fine when I threw it out but figured it had enough germs on it by now that I should be thrown out. :D

A YEAR? Would you share that recipe with us, please?

home made is the best.... it takes a few times to perfect, but when you get it down it is the best dough you can find.....

not sticky
does not dry out

does not crumble

easy to clean up.

last much longer

Originally Posted by daycare:
home made is the best.... it takes a few times to perfect, but when you get it down it is the best dough you can find.....

not sticky
does not dry out

does not crumble

easy to clean up.

last much longer

Care to share the recipe you use? :)

Originally Posted by taylorw1210:
Care to share the recipe you use? :)

sure I got it from pinterest....first time I made it, it came out horrible...third time was the charm

http://theimaginationtree.com/2012/0...gh-recipe.html

This is the recipe I use. It's good for weeks probably longer but I like to make fresh stuff.
Kool-Aid Playdough
Ingredients:
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 pkg unsweetened Kool-aid (just the
dry koolaid, don't mix it into juice)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix flour, salt and
kool-aid.
2. Stir in water and oil
3. Knead with hands for about 5 minutes.
4. Store in ziploc bag for up to 2
4. months.
5. Use like playdough.
6. Smells wonderful and takes on the color
of the koolaid.

http://www.playdoughrecipe.com

Has no cook, cook, scented, colored, glitter, flavored, salt, edible and every other kind/type you can think of!

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
This is the recipe I use. It's good for weeks probably longer but I like to make fresh stuff.
Kool-Aid Playdough
Ingredients:
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 pkg unsweetened Kool-aid (just the
dry koolaid, don't mix it into juice)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix flour, salt and
kool-aid.
2. Stir in water and oil
3. Knead with hands for about 5 minutes.
4. Store in ziploc bag for up to 2
4. months.
5. Use like playdough.
6. Smells wonderful and takes on the color
of the koolaid.

I've seen this recipe, but does the kool aid stain their hands? Do the kids try to eat it because it smells so good? I guess that would be ok since it is food :lol:

Originally Posted by CraftyMom:
I've seen this recipe, but does the kool aid stain their hands? Do the kids try to eat it because it smells so good? I guess that would be ok since it is food :lol:

I have made play-doh with kool-aid before, I don't know if it was this recipe, but I can answer your questions. :) I didn't find that the kool-aid stained their hands. Mine when I made is yes, but that's because I am usually a mess. :rolleyes: But once it was mixed with the other ingredients, it was fine.

I didn't notice any of the kids try to eat it any differently than anything else. I was with the younger toddlers (18m-2) when I made it, so one would occasionally try and put it in their mouth, but that is just the age.

I liked it because it smelled so good, and I do not like the smell of regular play dough.

I tell ya, I just had a lady bring in some homemade playdoh that was seven years old just so I could see it! The oil smelled rancid ( nobody had used it in years) but it was nice and soft! My homemade play dough lasts at least a year, even though I like to make new before that. It took me years to figure out the best way to make homemade.

It's soft and perfect! Not crumbly or sticky.

I've found the cooked recipe is the best and make sure to use the cream of tartar! It is a MUST! Do not over cook either. Cook only till it starts to firm up.

1 C flour
1 C warm water
1/2 C salt
2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
1 Tablespoon oil
2 pkgs unsweetened kool aid. Strawberry or orange smell really great. Lime too

This will be really soupy at first. Heat on medium/low and stir till it just holds together. Take off heat. Take out of pan after a minute or two so it doesn't keep cooking.

Store in a Ziplock bag. Again, this is a perfect, soft consistency and keeps forevah!
Good luck!

Originally Posted by Leigh:
A YEAR? Would you share that recipe with us, please?

I couldn't find the last recipe that I used (that lasted a year). I know that I had to cook it and I used Kool aide. I was bummed to not be able to find the exact recipe that we had used last. This time we used the standard recipe with cream of tarter. We'll see how long this one lasts... I'm not sure if keeping it in the fridge helped prolong it's life or not.

Update to my "do they try to eat it" question
 

Today we made 4 batches of kool aid playdoh, in 4 different colors. I had asked if the dcks try to eat it since it smells yummy. Well THEY did not. My 13 year old daughter however is a different story :lol: She came home from school and saw it and started playing with it, then said "can I eat it?" as she pops some into her mouth. The look on her face when she realized it has a ton of salt in it! :lol::lol::lol: