If you find yourself a bit daunted by planning your young child’s first “friend” birthday party, you may be heartened to know that a successful party can be as simple as a big bowl of homemade play dough. Homemade play dough is a different animal than the store-bought stuff: it’s soft and pliable without being sticky, and little ones can’t get enough of it!

Mix up a big batch of dough before the party, sit the kiddos down at a table with an assortment of cookie cutters and other tools, and your party entertainment is taken care of – your small guests will play happily for quite a while. And if you make a double batch of dough, your party favors will be taken care of as well: simply place a bit of dough into small plastic containers, add a cookie cutter (and a personalized die-cut tag from BigDotOfHappiness.com), and you’ll have a fantastic little bundle for each party guest to take home.

Play Dough

2 ½ cups flour

½ cups salt

1 T. alum (or cream of tartar)

3 T. oil

2 cups boiling water

1 packet unsweetened kool aid (optional – for color and scent)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until it comes together in a stiff dough, adding a bit more flour or water as needed to achieve the right consistency. Dump the whole mess out on the table, and knead until it’s smooth (if it’s sticking, try adding a touch more oil.) Keeps well in a covered container.

Have fun!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla blogger