Homemade Playdough Fun

Today I watched our neighbors' eighteen month old daughter, so I had three children under two all day.  It wasn't as scary as it sounds!  She was an angel, and it was so nice to have a little girl in the house.  I have seen a ton of homemade playdough recipes on pinterest lately and thought it would be fun to make playdough this afternoon with the kids.  Rather than try a new recipe, I decided to go with my mom's homemade playdough recipe.  She's a preschool teacher and has been making it for years.  It came out great and we had a ton of fun!  Only one of the three kids tried to eat it (my Benjamin, who is the least likely to try any new "real" foods....  go figure!).  He said it was "MMMMmmmm yummy!"  Even though it technically IS edible, it is not meant to be eaten.  My husband came home tonight and decided he needed to try it too (I wonder where Benjamin gets it from?) and he said it was definitely not yummy!  If you have kids at home, this is a great recipe to make on a rainy or cold day when you are looking for something to do.  It's really easy and lots of fun.

Miss Kathy's Homemade Playdough
3 cups flour
1 cup salt
3 Tbs. oil
3 packages (4 oz each) Kool Aid
food coloring (optional- you can add a few drops for a more intense color)
3 cups water

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick (like mashed potatoes).  Cool on paper towels.  Knead lightly.  Store in airtight container.

I was worried I was going to burn it, so I ended up taking it out of the pan too early.  When I started kneading it, it was too sticky.  I called my mom and she said to microwave it at 30 second intervals until it was easier to work with.  (Moms are so smart, aren't they?)  It worked! 

My little helpers mixing up the flour and salt:

Having fun with cookie cutters!

I just love their chubby little hands!

Now I need to make some Blue and Yellow playdough!