How to Make Homemade Playdough

Learn the simple chemistry of making your own soft, squishy playdough at home using common kitchen ingredients. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Mix your dry ingredients. In your saucepan, stir together the flour, salt, and cream of tartar until they are well combined.
2. Add the liquids. Pour in the water, vegetable oil, and a few drops of food coloring if you want your dough to be a specific color. Stir until the mixture looks like a thin, smooth batter.
3. Cook the dough. Ask your grown-up to turn the stove to medium heat. Keep stirring the mixture constantly. You will see it start to clump together and pull away from the sides of the pan. Keep stirring until it forms a solid ball of dough.
4. Cool and knead. Once the dough is a solid ball, remove it from the pan and place it on a clean surface to cool for about 5 minutes. Once it is cool enough to touch, knead it with your hands until it becomes smooth and stretchy.