Did you know that the simple act of playing with play dough has incredible benefits for kids? It’s a fantastic tool to keep in your parenting toolbox at all times. This taste-safe recipe for Cool Whip Play Dough is a fun way to engage your kids in sensory play for thirty minutes, an hour, or maybe an entire afternoon.
We like to make new and exciting playdough recipes to change things up, even though we love our Basic Homemade Playdough Recipe for everyday use. This recipe is so fun for kids because it is edible playdough, and they can help make this simple recipe. In fact, I recommend letting your kids help whenever possible!
Pro Tip: This is the perfect way to use up Cool Whip you forgot about over the holidays and found in your freezer three months later!
Cool Whip Play Dough Recipe
- 8 oz. frozen Cool Whip
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 cups cornstarch
- Food coloring – optional
How to Make Cool Whip Play Dough
- In a medium bowl, add the frozen Cool Whip and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Stir to mix together well.
- Add 1 cup of cornstarch to the Cool Whip and powdered sugar, then mix again.
- If you’d like to add food coloring, add 4-5 drops and mix in.
- Place the Cool Whip mixture back into the container and refreeze overnight.
- Add the Cool Whip mixture into a bowl.
- Add another cup of cornstarch and mix well with a spoon.
- If the mixture is still sticky, add another 1⁄2 cup of cornstarch and knead with your hands.
- Play!
Pro Tip: If the Cool Whip play dough is still sticky, add the remaining 1⁄2 cup of cornstarch and knead well. More cornstarch may be needed as the dough absorbs moisture in the air over the next few days.
How to Store Cool Whip Play Dough
This is not the kind of play dough you can keep on the counter. Instead, store your leftover edible playdough in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Variations
You can substitute some of the cornstarch with chocolate cocoa powder or strawberry drink mix powder for different flavors.
A bit of peppermint flavoring (not extract) will make this the perfect Christmas or winter play dough and add that amazing smell for sensory play. I don’t recommend using extracts because of the bitter taste of uncooked alcohol, but you can find alcohol-free flavoring oils in the cake decorating section of your local craft store.
Playing with Play Dough
I’m always looking for common household objects that will make our playdough play more fun. Set out the play dough with a few interesting possibilities and create an invitation to play. Here are some fantastic ideas for things that either cut play dough or make fun imprints, and most of these you already have or can grab at the dollar store.
- Plastic Cups
- Plastic Cookie Cutters (letters and numbers are fabulous!)
- Cookie Press Cutters
- Dough Roller
- Toy Rings or Jewelry
- Lego® or Duplo® (this may be a permanent sacrifice, so proceed with caution).
- Plastic silverwear (knives, forks, spoons)
- Combs
- Plastic Beads
- Bubble Wrap
- Hair Brush
- Whisk
- Plastic Animals
- tooth brushes
- doggy toothbrush
- leaves, flowers, and plants
Pro Tip: Contain the mess with play dough mats. I hear parents mention repeatedly that the reason they don’t do “XYZ” is because they don’t like the mess. As grown-ups we can figure out ways to contain and deal with that mess for a few years so that our kids get the powerful benefits of sensory play. Our Play Dough Mats Bundle can help you, and will even extend the fun! As a side note, this edible play dough wipes up easily with a hot wash cloth, and stray pieces on the floor may be snapped up by your pets.
The Benefits of Play Dough Play
This playdough provides significant sensory feedback, including tactile (touch), proprioceptive from the squeezing and squishing of the dough, and gustatory (taste) sensory input. If you add smelly food-safe flavoring oils it can also add olfactory (smell) sensory input just like our Pudding Playdough or Melting Ice Cream Playdough.
Besides sensory input, play dough also builds fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, imagination, concentration, and problem solving.
Like most sensory play, playdough is therapeutic and can relieve stress or tension as a calm-down activity for both kids and adults. Try our Calming Lavender Scented Playdough.
This is a huge list of benefits, and doesn’t even touch on ideas for using play dough to extend learning in math, science, and other academic areas — check out Dinosaur Fossils in Playdough as an example!
Tips to Keep Play Dough Time Fun and Interesting
Even though the sensory input is invaluable, some kids might find play dough boring after a while, and need inspiration to keep enjoying the experience. Here are some ideas.
Change up the toys. Don’t give your child all the things for play dough all at once, keep a few different bags of play dough tools and toys to rotate through.
Change up the recipes. We have a huge and growing collection of play dough recipes on our site!
Connect it to hobbies and interests. Whatever your child is into right now can be connected to sensory play whether its play dough or sensory bins. Dinosaurs? No problem. Counting. Easy! Flowers? Piece of cake!
Change the smell. Some kids may dislike the natural smell of our play dough recipes. Add a drop or two of essential oils, extracts, or food-safe flavorings to keep it fresh. *Make sure to use food-safe ingredients if your child puts everything in their mouths!
More Thematic Play Dough Recipes Your Child will Love
Frozen Inspired Elsa Microwave Playdough
Peter Rabbit Playdough Invitation to Play
Apple Tree Colour and Counting Playdough Game
Rainbow Playdough Colour and Counting Game
The post Cool Whip Play Dough appeared first on The Chaos and the Clutter.