Homemade Christmas Play Dough scented with Essential Oils

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year. And now that I have kids, I love sharing the Christmas season with them and experiencing it all through their eyes. Don’t you find that your kids have renewed your wonder just a little bit and added a bit of magic back into the season for you?

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays are holiday-related crafts and activities! There are so many options this time of year to help make your season bright and a little more fun. From gingerbread houses to salt dough ornaments – so many choices and fun things to do!

Well, I have another to add to your list! Homemade Christmas play dough that is natural and non-toxic and scented with essential oils.

Do you encourage your kids to play with play dough? You should! Play dough is fantastic for kids because it prompts their imagination and imaginative play. A little creativity and they can make anything they dream of!

And it’s great for working those fine motor skills. Playing with play dough helps strengthen kids’ hands as they squish and squash and roll. This in turns helps children hold a pencil, scissors, and other tools.

But, if you’re like me, you have noticed that store-bought play dough has a strong smell… I was, of course, concerned about my daughters playing with it because toddlers and little kids put everything in their mouths. Even if they’re not trying to eat it, they play with it and then put their fingers in their mouths without even thinking about it. I definitely didn’t want them eating conventional play dough.

This play dough is great because it’s easy to make and uses things that you probably already have in your kitchen mixed with some essential oils. It’s safe for the kiddos to play with and is extremely affordable to make. You really can’t beat that! You can even have your kids help you to make this play dough and then let them play with it. Two activities in one!

Homemade Christmas Play Dough scented with Essential Oils

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of organic flour
• ½ cup salt
• 2 teaspoons organic cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of oil (I use avocado oil but you can use any oil)
• 1 teaspoon glycerin
• 1 cup boiling water
• 10 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 10 drops of vetiver essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops ylang ylang essential oil
• Gel food coloring in Christmas colors
• Glitter (optional)

Note: The essential oils are optional, so you can omit these or use other scents.

Instructions:

Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.

Then, add the oil, glycerin, and essential oils to the bowl and mix together until everything is well blended.

Add water and stir until the water has been completely incorporated.

Take the dough from the bowl and knead it on a hard, flat surface.

Divide the dough into 2-3 pieces.

For each piece of dough, add a few drops of food coloring and knead. Repeat this process until the dough is the shade you prefer. You can also add glitter if you would like.

There you have it – now your Christmas play dough is ready!

Store the dough in an airtight container when not in use.