Wow I’m sitting here in complete disbelief that the weekend has zoomed by once more… wahh! It just went by TOO fast this time. But I do believe it could have something to do with the fact that we were just having so much fun around here. And I can’t be too upset because I’m a little weirdo for loving the fresh start of Mondays.
This weekend we got to stay home, a real treat for us who are usually jetting off to out of town parties or day trips. Just about every parent that I know with school-aged children tells me just how crazy, busy, life gets the older they get…wahhh again! Between sports, activities, and birthday parties I hear it never stops. So I feel very fortunate to have these weekends in together, doing “nothing”. Did we ever think as adults we would enjoy doing nothing so much?!
Never mind the fact that my first born is turning 6 this week, I’ve been shedding a few tears for things to come and those that have past. Like thinking about those crazy busy weekends that I hear about. I’m just not ready ya’ll… Not ready for any of it. Alas, it’s not here YET. I still have a little more time don’t I?
Also, in case you were wondering if this is the blog post where I share just how completely unglued I am, you’re out of luck because I’m actually here to share a fun play dough recipe with you all! Perhaps I’ll save that post for another day…? Also I may be talking, err writing to myself right now… Snap out of it Alyssa! Your kids aren’t going to college yet… pull it together and focus… PLAY DOUGH!
Let’s try this again… Our weekend was great! We made a special red and sparkly play dough that smells divine and just perfect for this upcoming Valentine’s Day. Making our own play dough has always been something I have enjoyed doing because it is totally customizable. Not to mention totally CHEAP!
This time I whipped up a raspberry play dough using JELL-O! I know you may be thinking that making your own dough seems like such a chore, but I promise it’s fun and takes a very small amount of time. Plus you get to dump glitter and JELL-O together in one bowl… when are you ever going to get to do that? I’m telling you, you have nothing to lose and all the fun play dough to gain!
To pre-frame things a bit, this is a little bit of a sticky dough so I don’t recommend putting the dough through typical dough toys like spaghetti makers and other things where the dough may get lodged inside. However, it is fantastic for rolling, cutting out shapes or “cookies” as we like to call them and much more! It also is the BEST smelling dough because of the JELL-O which makes for an extra special sensory experience. The kids had a blast making “snakes” and playing bakery and restaurant. They played for an hour straight! No whining, fighting, or asking for random snacks. So, on top of being sparkly, I’m also wondering if this dough has some type of mystical magic powers too…!
Here’s my recipe:
1 ¼ Cups Flour + more for kneading
1 Cup Salt
2 TBSP Oil
3 TBSP Cream of Tartar
1 6 Oz Packet of Raspberry JELL-O
1 ½ TBSP Glitter
1 Cup Water
I also had the sweetest helper too..! Here’s how we make it:
Step 1:
Gather ingredients
Step 2:
Warm water in pot on low. No need for boiling, only warming.
Step 3:
Here’s the fun part! Dump all other ingredients EXCEPT for oil in bowl. Little ones love to do this part!
My helper especially loved dumping in the yummy smelling JELL-O mix as well as the glitter! And it didn’t hurt that Iron Man was on the box…
Step 4:
Mix it all up!
You just can’t resist giving it all a good sniff.
*Side note: I love the way his hair has “highlights” from pouring the flour <3
Step 5:
Add oil to warmed water in pot and then add in the dry ingredients.
Step 6:
Stir it up over low heat and continue cooking the dough while simultaneously stirring it. We cooked ours for about 5 minutes until it was thick.
*Cooking it is, in my experience, the ONLY way to get a smooth dough without it feeling grainy or rough.
Step 7:
Remove from heat and let cool completely about 20 minutes or so. Then knead the dough on a floured surface until it’s not so sticky. Do not be afraid to add quite a bit of flour here! (I think I added about 1/4 cup altogether)
And that’s it! Now onto the fun part. Mixing, rolling “snakes”, cutting out shapes, stamping… Anything goes!
This dough is a great addition for your home or classroom. I promise the kids won’t soon forget their yummy smelling sparkly red-raspberry play dough fun! And perfect for Valentine’s day… Place in a little gift bag with a heart cutter and you’ve got the cutest little non candy Valentine there ever was.
Let me know if you give it a try!
I may not be able to stop those crazy busy weekends from coming, but I can definitely help make these memories stick a little harder with fun experiences such as this one.
Lots of sparkly, fruity love to you all…!
