Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Pearly Dough

Clean Pearly Dough Ready for Playing
I found the basis for this play dough recipe in Glues Brews and Goos by Diana F. Marks. I had to change the size of the recipe as well as some of the instructions because I had a lumping problem. I didn't get any pictures of my smooth batches, so you'll have to use your imagination. The last picture in this post is probably be best one in which to see the lumps, if you're into that sort of thing.

The original title is "Pearly Clay," but I couldn't get it to a clay consistency. Also, though the original recipe says it hardens well, I didn't find that to be exactly true. But this is a fun dough because it's a bit translucent.
Glitter Makes It Better
You need:

2 cups salt
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
2 cups cornstarch

1. Combine the salt and boiling water. Allow to cool (this is important to avoid lumps).
2. Combine the cold water and cornstarch.
3. Combine the salt and cornstarch mixtures in a pot, stirring constantly over low heat until it reaches a stuff cookie dough consistency. Allow to cool.
4. Knead the dough until it's as smooth as you like it.

I found it very hard to mix the cold water and the cornstarch. For those of you Oobleck fans, it's stiff Oobleck. If you have the same problem, use less water for the salt and add it to the cornstarch.

You can add liquid watercolors to this dough for a nice effect. Glitter is fun too.

Allergy Note: This recipe contains cornstarch, so it is not to be used in a classroom with a corn allergy.
Here There Be Lumps

2 comments:

  1. I'm so bad about just buying play dough. Thanks for the recipe. It sounds like fun, especially the glitter part.:)

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  2. Thanks! We never buy dough at our school. I honestly couldn't tell you if making your own is cheaper in the long run because I'm not sure how long you should keep the stuff you purchase. I work with two people who make absolutely heavenly play dough, so I always make sure they get any goodies I bake in case they might throw some of their dough my way!

    When dough is looking a little old or sad we usually spend a day or two adding things to it. It's our way of saying goodbye to well-used dough. Glitter is the most popular addition by far.

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