Salt dough, or "play dough", is great for kids. For younger kids, the small 
motor skills gained by playing with this homemade, cheap version of 
"play-doh" is the biggest plus. They can build things and just be creative. 
When my children were small, I would place an old, cheap large vinyl 
tablecloth on the floor with this dough, and lots of cookie cutters, rolling 
pins, and paper cups, and let them play. They would play for an hour or so. 
The tablecloth was their "boundary" and made clean-up a snap...even the 
homemade kind of play=doh can get ground into carpets and floors!
Now my kids are too old for this type of play, but this salt dough has 
another use...it can be made into relief maps. It can be painted on after 
molding, or colored before use. It can also make a mountain - and with the 
careful use of baking soda and white vinegar, the mountain can become a 
volcano. :)
Here is my collection of play dough and salt dough recipes. If you have a 
recipe database like MealMaster, Quik Book, etc., you can easily import 
these...or print them out for safe keeping.
-Begin Recipe Export- QBook version 1.00.14
Title: ARGO DO-IT YOURSELF CLAY THAT'S SAFE FOR KIDS
Keywords: kids, crafts, playdough, non-edible
2 cups baking soda
1 cup Argo Corn Starch
1 1/4 cups water
Mix cornstarch and baking soda, add water, mix. Bring to a boil,
stirring constantly. Thicken to consistency of mashed potatoes.
Form clay into desired shapes, let dry for 36 hours, color with
paint or felt-tip marker, and coat with shellac or clear nail polish.
-Begin Recipe Export- QBook version 1.00.14
Title: More Kids Crafts
Keywords: Kids, Crafts, Non-edible
From: Grandma Sheila, COOKING echo (Sheila Exner)
1 cup each flour, salt, water.  Cook in saucepan over medium to low heat
                                until thick.  Color with food coloring
                                if desired.
-End Recipe Export- From the files of Donna Ransdell.
-Begin Recipe Export- QBook version 1.00.14
Title: Play Dough for Kids
Keywords: Play Dough, Crafts, Kids, Non-edible
From: Sheri Shanks, COOKING echo
PLAY DOUGH RECIPES
YOU NEED:
  1 Cup flour
  1/3 cup salt
  1/3 to 1/2 cup water
  a few drops of liquid detergent or vegetable oil
  food coloring (optional)
YOU DO:
 1. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl using a spoon or your hands.
 2. SLOWLY add the water, mixed with food coloring and oil ( or detergent)
 3. KNEAD the dough well and shape it into a ball. ( for
different colorsm akde several balls of plain doght and knead in the 
loring)
NOW YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PLAY DOUGH!!
RUBBERY PLAYDOUGH
YOU NEED:
  2 cups baking soda
  1 1/2 cups water
  1 cup corn starch
YOU DO:
1. Mix with a fork until smooth.
2. Boil over moderater heat until thick (about a minute or so)
3. Spoon onto a plate or waxed paper.
-End Recipe Export- From the files of Donna Ransdell.
PS These recipes were collected a long time ago. Though some of the names are 
still around Fido, they may not be on the echoes mentioned under their name 
any more. I haven't been a regular on COOKING for four years, for instance.
                                 -donna
--- GEcho 1.00
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