Make Autumn Scented Play Dough
Make autumn scented play dough using flour, salt, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and natural colorings, practicing measurements, mixing, and sensory exploration.
Step-by-step guide to make Autumn Scented Play Dough
Step 1
Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Step 2
Clear a clean table or counter and lay out your materials.
Step 3
Measure 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of salt into the mixing bowl.
Step 4
Add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the bowl.
Step 5
Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the bowl.
Step 6
Stir the flour salt spice and oil with the wooden spoon until the mixture looks crumbly.
Step 7
Slowly pour in 3/4 cup warm water while stirring until a soft dough starts to form.
Step 8
Turn the dough onto your clean flat surface and knead it for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth.
Step 9
Divide the dough into three equal pieces so you can make different colors.
Step 10
Sprinkle a small amount of a natural coloring into the first piece (for example 1 teaspoon beet powder or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric or 1 teaspoon cocoa).
Step 11
Knead that piece until the color spreads evenly through the dough.
Step 12
Repeat Steps 10 and 11 for each remaining piece to make more colored doughs.
Step 13
If any dough feels sticky add 1 tablespoon flour and knead once or if it feels too dry add 1 teaspoon water and knead once.
Step 14
Play with your scented play dough by smelling squishing and shaping it and then store it in plastic wrap or an airtight container.
Step 15
Share a photo or story of your finished autumn scented play dough on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have beet powder, turmeric, or cocoa for coloring (Step 10)?
For Step 10, if you don't have beet powder, turmeric, or cocoa, substitute a few drops of liquid food coloring or 1 teaspoon of powdered drink mix and knead until the color spreads evenly.
What should we do if the dough is still sticky, too dry, or the spices clump when mixing?
If the dough is sticky after Step 8, follow Step 12 and add 1 teaspoon water and knead once, if it's too dry add 1 tablespoon flour as in Step 12, and if spices clump stir them into the dry flour in Step 3 before adding oil.
How can we adapt this activity for toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids?
For toddlers have an adult pre-measure and do Steps 3–8 and let them squish and smell the dough in Step 13 with supervision, preschoolers can help pour and stir in Steps 3–6 and knead in Step 8, and older kids can split the dough in Step 9 and experiment with different natural colorings and spice amounts in Steps 10–11.
How can we make the play dough more autumnal or personalize it after making it?
After coloring in Step 11, personalize by pressing in leaf cookie cutters or natural leaf stamps, kneading in a drop of vanilla extract or extra cinnamon for scent, and then store tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container as instructed in Step 13 before sharing a photo on DIY.org per Step 14.
Watch videos on how to make Autumn Scented Play Dough
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Facts about sensory play for kids
🌿 Cinnamon is actually the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees and was once traded like a luxury spice worth its weight in gold.
🌰 Nutmeg was so valuable in the 1600s that control of the Banda Islands sparked violent conflicts between colonial powers.
🧸 Play-Doh started life as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s and was rebranded as a modeling compound for kids in the 1950s.
🧂 Salt helps homemade play dough stay mold-free and firm; many recipes use about twice as much flour as salt for the best texture.
👃 The sense of smell is tightly linked to memory centers in the brain—adding autumn scents makes play dough extra memorable and comforting.
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