Jello Playdough
Kids love playing with playdough, but what if it could be even better. This homemade Jello Playdough recipe is a great way to keep kids entertained for hours without all the mess! It's made with everyday ingredients including Jello mix.
With this easy recipe, you'll never have to buy store-bought playdough again! You can make as much or as little as you want in just 10 minutes – perfect for those days when the kids are bored at home or need something new on rainy days.
Jello Playdough
This recipe is a taste safe play dough for kids that will keep them entertained all day. It’s made with a few ingredients, one of which is Jello, this Jello playdough is a fun and easy way to keep the kids happy with simple everyday materials. You can also add food coloring or sprinkles to make it even more exciting!
The best part about this recipe? If you have kids who want to put things in their mouth that maybe they should, this recipe is taste safe. That means, if the kids decide to eat some, they will not get sick or ingest things that they shouldn't. While some people consider recipes like this as edible, I never recommend eating the playdough after the kids have been playing with it.
The dough doesn’t need to be refrigerated, but if you are trying to make it last, you might want to, so you can let your little ones play with it at any time of the day! All they have to do is get their play space ready and then get creative- roll it into balls, use cookie cutters on it, add some frosting if they want…the possibilities are endless.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- cream of tartar
- water
- vegetable oil
- Food coloring
- Jello
How to Make Jello Playdough
- Add all ingredients in a medium pan, stirring until well blended.
- Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring consistently.
- Once the liquid is absorbed and the dough starts to form a ball, remove from heat.
- Transfer the dough ball to a non-stick surface. We love to use parchment paper, but waxed & freezer paper work well too.
- Once it has cooled enough to handle but is still warm, knead the dough until smooth – about 2 minutes.
Is This Edible Playdough Safe To Eat?
This is a great activity for kids of all ages to do together, even toddlers! They will enjoy the sensory experience of touching and playing with it. However, you should never let your child eat play dough, whether it's homemade or store bought.
This play dough recipe is not edible-if you decide to make this Jello play dough for kids, be sure they keep it away from their mouths because while this recipe might taste good, it is not something that should be ingested.
I'm not a fan of eating sensory materials, whether it's “edible” slime or playdough, because our hands and tools attract germs while playing & we really do not want to train little ones that we eat playdough and slime. Plus, I cannot wrap my head around trying to teach a 2-4yo that it's sometimes okay to eat it & sometimes okay to play with your food.
However, the recipe is taste safe. That means that is the kids were to sneak a taste, it will not make them sick. The ingredients are safe for that finger lick or a quick finger full before you can stop the youngest ones.
Is This Safe for Babies and Toddlers
Because this is taste safe, it is safe for babies and toddlers. Depending on their age, they might need a little help with this, but every baby is different. It is a great sensory play item. Kids can learn motor skills while rolling out the dough or using cookie cutters. The kids can also press sprinkles into the dough. There are lots of ways for kids to play with this dough that will help with motor skills.
How to Store Jello Playdough
This play dough doesn’t need to be refrigerated; the kids can take it anywhere they go, so store it in an airtight container when you are finished. The play dough will last for 3 days without being refrigerated. If you want it to last longer, you can store it in an airtight container or freezer bag, in the refrigerator for about 2 months.
If the playdough starts to dry out and crack, you can add a little bit of water to it to help if get rehydrated and bring it back to play dough consistency.
The best way to make this playdough last the longest is to make sure the kids wash their hands before playing. Also make sure the surface is clean before playing with the Jello Playdough. Then when they are done playing with this, store it in the refrigerator for the longest amount of play time.
What if the Dough is too Sticky?
If you find that the dough has become too sticky, try adding a little bit more flour to it. If that doesn’t help, simply add some cornstarch to the mixture and mix until well combined.
While with normal playdough I would recommend baby powder but since we want to keep this recipe taste safe, please DO NOT use baby powder.
This is because baby powder is not taste safe and contains other ingredients that could make the play dough unsafe for kids to eat.
More Playdough Recipes:
- Apple Pie Spice Playdough
- Candy Corn Playdough
- Peppermint Playdough
- Hot Chocolate Playdough
- Coffee Playdough
- Frosting Playdough
Jello Playdough
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 1 cup of water
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- Food coloring
- 1 packet of Jello per batch
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a medium pan, stirring until well blended.
- Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring consistently.
- Once the liquid is absorbed and the dough starts to form a ball, remove from heat.
- Transfer the dough ball to a non-stick surface. We love to use parchment paper, but waxed & freezer paper work well too.
- Once it has cooled enough to handle but is still warm, knead the dough until smooth – about 2 minutes.
Notes
