Here’s the best no-cook playdough recipe. It’s so easy to make that kids can help (see the video tutorial)! Plus I’ll share how no cook playdough compares to cooked playdough recipes.
Updated June 2022
You know how much we love the cooked homemade playdough recipe we’ve been making forever. It’s the play clay from MaryAnn Kohl’s First Art, and we’ve posted about it probably at least 20 other times.
It’s awesome. The texture is smooth and playdough rubbery and the batch makes a generous amount to play with. It also lasts just about forever.
Here’s the the no cook playdough recipe we like the very best, which uses the hot water method.
The Best No Cook Playdough Recipe
MATERIALS
- Flour
- Salt
- Cream of tartar
- Oil
- Liquid watercolors (or food coloring)
- Water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix dry ingredients
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- Add wet ingredients
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil and food coloring. Then pour in the boiling water and mix.
- Knead until the dough comes together
Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and then once it’s cool enough to hold, knead the dough until it comes together.
Note: It will look like a goopy mess and you’re going to be sure that you’re going to have to add a lot of flour to make it work. Just let it sit for a few minutes. It will firm up and work perfectly. - Play!
Once your playdough is ready, it’s time to play!
Pro Tips for No Cook Playdough
We’ve made this no cook playdough recipe enough times to learn some tips that will ensure it comes out with the perfect texture!
- Be sure to use a metal bowl or pot.
- Keep the water boiling and piping hot when making this recipe.
These two tricks will ensure you playdough “cooks” and will help achieve a texture that is just right for playing!
Here’s a video tutorial of how to make this playdough. Keep scrolling for the recipe, plus a comparison of no cook playdough and cooked playdough recipes.
See? Wasn’t that easy? Now, here’s the recipe.
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The Best No Cook Playdough Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Art Recipe
Description
This is great homemade playdough recipe to make with simple kitchen ingredients and the best part is that there is no stove-top cooking involved so the kids can help mix up their own batch!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 2 Tbsp cream of tartar
- 2 Tbsp oil
- Liquid watercolors
(or food coloring) - 2 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Make a well in the center and add oil and coloring.
- Pour in boiling water and mix.
- It will look like a goopy mess and you’re going to be sure that you’re going to have to add a lot of flour to make it work. Just let it sit for a few minutes. It will firm up and work perfectly.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it a bit to form a ball.
- Play!
Notes
This playdough will keep for a few months if stored in an airtight container or plastic bag in between use.
How Does No Cook Playdough Compare to Cooked Homemade Playdough?
Why is cooked playdough better?
Shelf life: The cooked playdough recipe we make lasts for months. The no cook playdough batches lasted a couple of weeks. By then they were a little too dried out and, in some cases, a little too smelly to keep using.
It’s forgiving: Cooked playdough can be left out, uncovered, for hours, with little or no lasting effect. No cook playdough starts getting a dry and crumbly coating if left out for any length of time.
Better texture: The cooked playdough has a lovely, rubbery, squishy playdough texture and it holds together better. Most of the no cook playdoughs are soft, but pull apart quickly and you end up with more crumbs and bits of playdough all over.
However, as much as we love cooked playdough, we admit that there are definitely times and reasons to consider making no cook playdough as well.
Why use a no cook playdough recipe?
After giving no cook playdough recipe several trial runs, we have come to the conclusion that cooked playdough is better, but that no cook playdough has it’s place, too. And we’ve actually been making the no-cook playdough more often because it’s quicker, easier, and the kids can get involved.
More kid-friendly to make: If you want your kids (or students) to be more involved in all steps of making the playdough, then no cook is the way to go since there is no hot stove to deal with. If making the kind with boiling water, an adult can boil and pour the water, but children can help with the rest.
It’s quicker and easier: No cook playdough is a bit quicker and easier to make. Mostly just dump and mix.
Expendable: If you plan to use it for a specific purpose, such as a baking soda volcano or a kitchen table forest, then by all means whip up a quick batch of no cook playdough.
Your turn to weigh in! What do you think about no cook versus cooked playdough? Do you have a preference? Or would you rather just buy yours ready-made?
People Also Ask:
- How do you make no cook playdough? Follow our recipe above to create the best batch of no cook playdough! It’s easy and a great opportunity for your kids to join in the action!
- Can you make playdough without boiling water? We find that boiling water is necessary for getting the texture just right. If you’d rather not use boiling water, check out our cooked playdough recipe.
- Which is better: cooked or uncooked playdough? After all these years, we have come to the conclusion that cooked playdough is better. But no cook playdough has it’s place, too! And we’ve actually been making the no-cook playdough more often because it’s quicker, easier, and the kids can get involved.
More Playdough Play Ideas for Kids
- Small World Playdough Play for Kids
- The Best Playdough Activities for Kids
- How to Use LEGOs to Make Pictures in Playdough
- Playdough Play Ideas on The Artful Parent YouTube channel
- 15+ Creative Playdough Ideas for Kids
- Our Favorite Playdough Play Ideas for Kids’ Everyday Creativity
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5 Responses
This is the best no cook playdough recipe I have used. I love how easy it is to make, and the kids love helping. The texture is great, and it is lasting a long time. Thank you for sharing!
That’s wonderful, Gabrielle! Makes me smile just thinking about your happy preschool class. 🙂
Substitute for cream of tartar??
★★★★
This playdough recipe came out PERFECTLY!! The best part is, it required no cooking as most recipes do, so we could make it in our classroom to enjoy! My pre-k class played with it for hours! Thank you Artful Parent!!!!
Our go-to for quick, easy playdough!
★★★★★