Play dough recipe

What you will need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Large cooking pot and wooden spoon

Preparation:

• In a large pot, stir flour, salt, cream of tartar, water, and oil over very low heat until the dough comes away from the edge of the pot and makes a soft ball. Let the playdough cool.

• (I put the playdough on a table with lots of extra flour and knead the ball of playdough.)
• Playdough needs to be stored in an airtight container.
• To engage the visual sense, add food colouring.
• To heighten tactile sensation, stir in some sand or rice.
• To arouse the olfactory sense, blend in a few drops of vanilla, peppermint, or other extract.

Benefits of the activity:

• Molding, kneading, pounding, rolling, squeezing, and poking playdough develop tactile perception, proprioception, upper-body strength, fine motor skills, and motor planning.

• Squeezing the garlic press and manipulating other utensils, tools, and gadgets build hand dexterity, visual-motor skills, and the ability to follow directions.
• Working with playdough is a resistive activity that provides proprioceptive input and is extremely organizing and calming. Perfect Playdough moments are before an outing or in the middle of an activity that may be overstimulating for the child

This information was taken from an excellent book: The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun – Activities for Kids with Sensory Integration Dysfuntion by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A. page 32, 33.