We’ve had 3 snow days this year. The first two were fantastic. We stocked up on treats and wore our coziest clothes all day and stayed inside and read and played games. It was like something out of Gilmore Girls.
Well.
Our third snow day was not so perfect. I had one sick kid, a toddler in a terrible mood, and the third just bouncing off the walls. I was tired and sore from working out and we were all just kind of off a notch or two.
Turns out all we needed to make two of the three happy (the third needed Sprite and saltines) was making this play dough. I used to make this way back in my babysitting days and it was just as fun as I remembered it. We have a plethora of unused beauty and personal grooming products from my husband’s work, plus a plethora of cornstarch from that time I waaaay overestimated how much cornstarch I was going to need for a recipe (plus a plethora of piñatas, but that’s irrelevant here), so we had everything we needed.
Let’s make some cornstarch conditioner play dough!
You’re going to need some hair conditioner and cornstarch.
There’s no need to use anything other than the cheapest (or free-est) stuff–save your Bumble & Bumble for your hair. But I would use something that smells good to you because this play dough will have a strong scent and it will stay on your hands.
Place the cornstarch in a large bowl and add your conditioner.
As I should know by now (and as you guys may have noticed), I perpetually underestimate how large my mixing bowls should be and I end up transferring them to a larger bowl later on. It works wonders for my dirty dish workload. So use a bigger bowl than you think you’ll need, and don’t think that only a Pyrex measuring cup will do the trick, because it won’t. Mix in the conditioner with your hands–it will just start coming together and it will be pliable and very, very smooth. You may need to add more conditioner as you go).
Use food coloring to color as desired. Keep in mind that food coloring may discolor skin, which is troublesome to some people. It’s non-toxic and will come off soon, but you might want to be mindful of it when deciding to add color or how much color you want to add.
Keep covered when not in use.
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2-Ingredient Silky Smooth Play Dough
Ingredients
- 2 cups cornstarch
- About 1 cup inexpensive hair conditioner
- Food coloring optional
Instructions
- Place the cornstarch in a large bowl.
- Mix in the hair conditioner with your hands–it will just start coming together and it will be pliable and very, very smooth. If desired, add a drop or two or food coloring.
- You may need to add more conditioner as you go. Use food coloring to color as desired. Keep covered when not in use.
Notes
- Don’t use the expensive hair condition or lotion, but I do recommend something that is either scent-free or a scent that you/your kids like.
Questions & Reviews
Thanks so, so much for this amazing recipe. My 18 month old grandaughter and myself tried this plat dough recipe out today and it was such a success. She loved the silky, smooth texture and pliability of it. This is a clear winner for little ones whose hands are not as strong as the bigger children, who can easily play with firmer dough.
In Canada we get 4 months straight of snow days
I made this with two of my clients during OT today. It was SO fun and they loved it! Used cheap V05 from Dollar Tree and skipped the food coloring, easy peasy to get the ratio right. It was great to draw letters and numbers in and one of my kiddos used a small toy backhoe to scoop it up, made “rocks”, and had a blast using his imagination.
It definitely was silky-smooth! But it doesn’t act the same as play-doh. when I tried to “stamp” letters onto it like play-doh, it would come off into the molds. I tried with other molds, too. Same thing. Fun to play with, but mostly just mushing it up. And, yes, I would avoid food coloring if possible.
A great recipe to do with your kids! My kiddos had so much fun making it and we played with it all day. If you are looking for playdough that feels store bought I would use a recipe with creme of tar tar. It makes really good playdough but it takes the fun out of making it with your kids because it can get pretty hard for them. Best kid friendly recipe ever!
Meanwhile in Canada we all be like….” what’s a snow day?”…. 😉 thanks for the recipe! Excited to give it a try!
Ha ha ha, went get at least 4 months of snow days up here
I just made a batch and it worked out great!! I am planning on making it with my preschool class tomorrow.
THANK YOU!!
Can you make this with shampoo?
Nope. 🙂
My kids and I just spent an hour making this…and remaking this…and adding conditioner to this…and then adding more conditioner…and repeat…
In our experience, the ‘playdoh’ stays soft and pliable for 5 minutes and then starts flaking off everywhere. We tried adding more conditioner but each time, it only remained playable for a few minutes.
The concept is great…but this is one recipe we will definitely not be attempting again.
I found it to be a little sticky even at the right consistency. Little bits would stick to my hands. So I made a batch of the cooked playdough (flour, salt, cream of tartar) and mixed this in. Perfect.