Play Dough Therapy

By: Mommy Lounge

Playing with play dough is not just for kids. It can be equally therapeutic and fun for adults as well! The squeezing, squishing and smashing can help to relieve tension and stress as you’re having fun with your daughters. Children work their stress out through their hands so why not join in with them. Playing play dough with as a family is a great time to be in the moment; relaxed, talking and bonding together.

Making homemade play dough is the best because you control what goes into it and you don’t have to worry about your child ingesting anything harmful. My daughters have both tried to eat a little play dough, but after one lick they realize that it just doesn’t taste good!

Here are a few great recipes that are fun and squishy:

Sparkling Peppermint Play Dough:

2 cups water
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
4 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons peppermint extract
Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Form dough into a ball, place on waxed paper, and allow to cool.

Gingerbread Play Dough:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. vegetable oil and 1 cup water
Mix together and knead until smooth.

Peanut Butter Play Dough (Edible)

Combine all equal parts of peanut butter and powdered milk. Add a little honey, until it is the consistency of clay.

Kool-Aid Play Dough

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 package of Kool-Aid
1 cup hot water
Combine ingredients and mix. (I like to add a few tablespoons of oil too)
The play dough that you cook has the best feeling after it’s done cooking. Since you have to knead it for a few minutes you get to roll it around and feel the warm squishiness in your hands. It is so therapeutic if you are feeling on edge and stressed out. There is nothing better in the world beside warm fresh play dough (well, maybe besides chocolate!)

If you are a play dough guru, you can order aromatherapy play dough from I Go Teach. Or try adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil to your own play dough. Either way, you’ll get to spend great quality time with your children!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mommy Lounge is a blog co-written by two stay-at-home moms, Reneca and Kalisha. We created Mommy Lounge to have an outlet to chronicle our journey through Motherhood. Mommy Lounge is a place to learn about ourselves as women and Mother’s, a place to laugh about the quirks of raising children and to also take time out for yourself to rejuvinate the woman inside the Mommy.

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