It's easy to make silly putty at home, and kids of any age can find joy in it. This is a classic way to heat it on the stove, and I love it because heated plasticine has a better texture than unheated plasticine. If you want children to make their own play-dough completely, you can use a method of making play-dough without heating.
Flour, hot water, salt, vegetable oil, tartar (optional, to increase elasticity) food colorant, aromatic oil
Silly putty is a classic children's toy that anyone can find fun in, and it's so easy to make at home that you'll never have to buy a similar smelly product from a manufacturer again. Basic ingredient ratio: 2 cups flour 2 cups hot water 1 cup salt 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon tartar (optional, for added elasticity) Food colorant (liquid, powdered, or unsweetened mixed drinks) Aromatic oil
Mix all the ingredients together and stir over low heat. The dough begins to thicken until it looks like mashed potatoes. If the dough leaves the sides of the pan and builds up in the middle (as shown in the image below), remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool enough to handle. Important: If the plasticine is still sticky, just heat it a little longer! Stir and heat until the dough is dry and looks like plasticine. I've seen a lot of comments that their plasticine is sticky and will heal after a little heat!
Take the dough to a clean surface or silicone mat and knead it quickly until it is silky smooth. Divide the dough into small balls and prepare for coloring. Make a pit in the middle of the ball and put some food colorant 1 into the pit. Wrap the dough so that the colorant is evenly spread over the whole piece of plasticine, trying to prevent the colorant ingredients from getting on your hands and countertop. You can use gloves or plastic wrap for this step, so that your hands do not stain, because only concentrated ingredients will stain the skin, and it will not matter if you use your hands after smoothing. Mix the ingredients well and continue to add until you are satisfied with the color. If you are using a sugar-free mixed drink for coloring, try it on a small blob first, as this is different from "real" food coloring.
Play silly putty. I don't need to teach you that. It's actually edible, but it's a little salty, so it's safe for kids. When you're done, place the plasticine in an airtight container. If the plasticine starts to dry out, add more water and knead the dough until it's ready to use again. However, if the degree of drying is too high, it can only be remade, but this is not very difficult. If it gets damp, you can reheat it to allow the excess water absorbed by the dough during the night to evaporate. This is usually because the humidity is too high, but it is easy to deal with. You can also dry plasticine in the oven to make hard dough and decorations, and then paint or decorate the surface. You can use dried plasticine as a pet rabbit licking salt!
Warning: Keep dogs and other pets away. Silly putty smells like human food, but it contains a lot of salt, which can be swallowed by hungry dogs, creating a dangerous salt imbalance.
