This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients and NO cream of tartar. Each color has a different scent thanks to the secret ingredient: Kool-Aid!
I highly recommend this recipe for beginners because it doesn’t use cream of tartar.
Cream of tartar is one of those one-off ingredients that I never know what to do with once I’m done with a recipe.
If you’re not sure you’ll be making your own homemade play dough much, try out this recipe using a single packet of Kool-Aid.
You can always buy more if you’re hooked!
My favorite part was mixing up the dry ingredients, and then watching the color appear when I added the boiling water.
Kids can help mixing up the dry ingredients, but once an adult adds the boiling water, it’s best to keep hands out of the bowl as the dough will be very hot.
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How to Make Kool-Aid Play Dough
The recipe for Kool-Aid play dough uses basic pantry ingredients (well, basic minus the Kool-Aid):
- 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/2 water
- 1 packet unsweetened Kool-Aid drink mix
Watch me make Kool-Aid play dough in this video.
It’s important to get the unsweetened variety because all that extra sugar will make the play dough sticky and prone to mold if stored for a long time.
Also, if you’re going with a generic powdered drink mix, check the ingredients label and make sure citric acid is the first ingredient.
Citric acid, much like cream of tartar, which is what’s called for in most play dough recipes like this one, acts as a preservative and helps stiffen the dough so kids can mold it and it will hold its shape.
First, mix up the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, salt, and the packet of Kool-Aid.
Here’s my secret to getting silky smooth play dough. Take out 2 Tbsp of the pre-measured flour and replace it with cornstarch.
You don’t have to do this step if you don’t have cornstarch, but I find that the dough with cornstarch is much smoother and softer.
Next, stir in the oil and boiling hot water.
This part is really fun because that’s when you start to see the color!
Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until the dough begins to pull away from the sides.
You can knead it at this point, but be careful, as the dough may be still be very hot.
Cover it lightly with plastic wrap until completely cooled.
What Flavors of Kool-Aid to Use
I would advise checking the color of the liquid in the glass shown on the packet and not going by the color of the packet to make sure you get the right color.
For example, Tropical Punch (my favorite flavor) is in a blue packet, but the actual color of the beverage once you mix it up is red.
If you’re looking for a specific color, here are the flavors that I used and what color they turned out to be.
- cherry: red
- orange: orange (duh)
- lemonade: yellow (I added food coloring for a brighter yellow)
- lemon-lime: green
- blue raspberry lemonade: light blue (I added food coloring to this, too)
- grape: purple
- pink lemonade: pink
My favorite was the cherry flavor because I thought it smelled the best!
Storing Kool-Aid Play Dough
We store ours in zip-top freezer bags and keep them in a bin in a kitchen cabinet.
Our play doughs typically last 3 months before they get too dried out to play with.
Usually by then, we’re itching to make more anyway, so we toss out the old dough and make a new batch!
Ways to Play with Your New Play Dough
There’s lots of different ways to play with play dough.
Here are a few ideas from EYT:
- Cut play dough with scissors
- Set up a bakery with cookie cutters and small items for decorating
- Make a play dough puzzle with wooden animals
Hope this recipe helps you bust boredom and keeps your kids playing all day long!
The printable recipe is down below. Just tap the Print Activity button.
Kool Aid Play Dough
Supplies
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1 packet unsweetened Kool Aid drink mix (about 1 1/4 tsp)
- 2 Tbsp oil any kind
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Measure out 1 cup of flour. Take out 2 Tbsp (doesn't have to be exact). Add in 2 Tbsp of cornstarch.
- Add 1 packet of unsweetened Kool Aid drink mix (see notes) and the salt. Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Add the boiling water and oil to the flour mixture.
- Stir, stir, stir until the dough forms and starts to cool. Then knead it lightly. Be careful as the dough could still be hot.
- Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap until completely cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Notes
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