How to Make Play-Dough: Only 2 Ingredients!

Slime and play-dough recipes are super fun and this recipe is great to use because you only need 2 ingredients that you likely already have at home! This is also a fun activity to do with students of all ages with varying levels of parent support. Read the instructions and/or watch the video below to follow along.

Play-dough Ingredients and Materials: 

• Cornstarch (1/2 cup) 
• Conditioner (1/4 cup) 
• Mixing Bowl 
• Large spoon 
• Measuring cups 
• Glitter (optional) 

Steps: 

1. Measure 1/2 cup of cornstarch and pour it into the mixing bowl. 
2. Measure 1/4 cup of conditioner and pour it into the mixing bowl. 
3. Mix the cornstarch and conditioner using a large spoon. Mix until the ingredients stick together. 
4. After mixing with a spoon, you can use your hands to make sure your dough is mixed together and not too sticky or crumbly. 
5. You can add glitter to your dough if you would like! 
6. Wash your hands, clean up, and play with your dough! 

Tip: If the play-dough is too crumbly, you can add more conditioner. If the play-dough is too sticky, you can add more cornstarch. The consistency of your dough may be more like slime or play-dough depending on the conditioner you use. Mine ended up as very soft play-dough! 

Process Tips 

Hands-on activities are a great way for students to practice reading, following instructions, and problem-solving, and also allow them to be creative with what they make! Here are some ways that students can contribute at different levels: 

1. Have students read out instructions. 
2. Have students write steps on paper so that they can practice writing and the steps are easier to follow while you make the play dough. 
3. Have students count while they stir (e.g. Let’s stir for 10 seconds!) 
4. Ask Questions that encourage exploration (e.g. “What do you think the dough will feel like?” or “What colour do you think the dough will be?”)
5. If the play-dough is too crumbly or too sticky, prompt the student to brainstorm ideas of what to do (e.g. “What do you think we could add to make the dough less crumbly?”)
6. For older students: if you want more or less dough, you can use a different amount of cornstarch and students can help figure out how much conditioner is needed. The cornstarch to conditioner ratio should be 2:1. For example, if you use 1 cup of corn starch you will need 1/2 cup of conditioner. 

Creativity Challenge! 

After your dough is done… can you? 

• Make the first letter of your name with your dough
• Make a summer snowman
• Create an animal with your dough 
• Create a super long snake
• Create the number of your age with your dough (e.g. 6 for 6 years old)

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