27+ Easy Homemade Playdough Recipes (2024)

Kids are crazy about playdough, and it's no wonder! It's soft, squishy, and you can mold it into anything you'd like to make. Playdough is a wonderful creative and sensory outlet for kids. We've put together a fantastic list of 27+ easy homemade playdough recipes that your kids will go crazy for.

Parents and teachers will love these recipes, too. You'll find no-cook playdough recipes, 2 or 3-ingredient playdough recipes, microwavable playdough recipes, and more. Isn't that handy?Choose a couple of playdough recipes from this list to try this week. Making playdough is a frugal family activity that all ages enjoy.

Related Post: Sensory Play

Easy Homemade Playdough Recipes from Messy Little Monster

Some of our absolute favorite easy homemade playdough recipes are listed for you below. We've made quite a few playdough recipes over the years, and we've definitely mastered the art of making it easier, faster, and better. Check them out!

Cake Mix Playdough

Our Cake Mix Playdough is a super simple taste-safe playdough recipe that you can probably make with ingredients from your kitchen right now! You'll need a box of cake mix, powdered sugar, cornstarch, oil, and sprinkles. And because all of the ingredients are edible, you don't need to worry if your toddler sneaks a bite while playing with it.

Kool-Aid Playdough

Kids love the bright, vivid colors and the yummy smell of this Kool-Aid Playdough. It'll keep for a few weeks if stored in an airtight container. The kids will want to make and play with this recipe again and again.

Rainbow Playdough

We used a basic playdough recipe in lots of different colors to make our gorgeous Rainbow Playdough. It's perfect for spring or St. Patrick's Day! You could also make some as part of a weather unit study to make hands-on rainbows and learn about the colors.

Chocolate Playdough

OurChocolate Playdough Recipeis perfect for Valentine's Day. Cut and shape the playdough into chocolate pieces to fill an empty candy heart. Add candies and sprinkles to make them look just like the chocolates you can buy from the shops!

Cloud Dough Playdough

If you are looking for a super easy playdough recipe then you will love our 2 ingredient cloud dough. This playdough is so soft and smooth and we even have a fun cloud sensory activity you could try with it.

Strawberries & Cream Playdough

You don't have to wait for Valentine's Day to roll around to make this. It smells fantastic and is loads of fun to make and play with.

Edible Christmas Playdough

This Edible Christmas Playdough another excellent edible playdough recipe with a festive holiday theme! We used Christmas Peeps, flour, and Crisco to make it. Bonus: it's microwaveable! You really can't get any simpler.

If you like this recipe, check out ourValentine Peeps Playdoughthat's made with pink heart-shaped Peeps. This recipe works for any holiday or season when Peeps are available in your local stores.

Grinch Playdough

You'll also want to try our Grinch Playdough this holiday season. You'll make super-soft green and red playdough to make your very own Grinch (and his heart).

Gingerbread Playdough

Gingerbread playdough smells so good and is perfect for the lead up to Christmas (or really anytime of the year!) Add some small characters or ornaments to add to the fun.

No-Cook Autumn Playdough

You can make a batch of our No-Cook Autumn Playdough in just minutes! The spices smell fantastic and are perfect for autumn. Gather some leaves and pinecones to make prints in the playdough, or grab your leaf-shaped cookie cutters. This is one of our favorites.

Apple Scented Playdough

And if you want another fall recipe, try our Apple Scented Playdough. It smells like an apple pie baking in the oven thanks to the nutmeg and cinnamon. You could also add some apple food flavoring if you'd like.

Black Playdough

Our Black Playdough can be used throughout the year, but it's perfect for making bats, witches, skeleton backgrounds, etc. for Halloween.

You might also want to check out our collection of playdough mats:

More Easy Homemade Playdough Recipes to Try

Need even more playdough recipes? We understand! Kids just can't get enough of the stuff, so it's good to have lots of variety to keep them interested. Here are some amazing and easy homemade playdough recipes from some of our favorite blogs.

Watermelon Playdough

This Watermelon Playdough from Parenting Chaos is the perfect recipe for summer! The kids will love this bright red and green dough scented with watermelon Kool-Aid.

Calming Lavender Playdough

Provide a relaxing activity for your kids an hour or two before bedtime or naptime. This Calming Lavender Playdough by Meraki Mother is the perfect playdough recipe to help the kids de-stress and relax. Moms will love the smell of it, too!

Shaving Cream Playdough

Natural Beach Living's Shaving Cream Playdough is soft, silky, and easily moldable. You only need cornstarch and shaving cream to make it, and adding food coloring is totally optional. Your kids can be playing with this cloud dough in 5 minutes or less!

Fairy Dough

This Fairy Dough by Little Bins for Little Hands is another 2-ingredient recipe made with cornstarch and conditioner. Isn't it amazing how many different ways you can make playdough? Add some glitter as a little fairy dust, and you're all set.

Peanut Butter Playdough

Are your kids huge peanut butter fans? They won't be able to stop tasting this Peanut Butter Playdough from Kids Activities Blog. It's made with just peanut butter, marshmallows, and powdered sugar. It's okay if the little ones take a bite!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Playdough

Crazy for pumpkin spice? If so, you'll love this Pumpkin Spice Latte Playdough from Fireflies and Mud Pies as much as your kids do. Made with instant coffee and pumpkin pie spice, it smells just like the real thing. Add even more scent with whole spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and cloves as well as whole coffee beans.

Jelly Bean Playdough

This Jelly Bean Playdough from Lemon Lime Adventures is perfect for after Easter when you typically have lots of jelly beans on hand, but you can make it anytime. The jelly beans give the playdough its color.

Frozen Playdough

Let it go! Let it go! Actually, let's go make some of this Frozen Playdough from The Best Ideas for Kids. It's soft, squishy, and so glittery! Don't worry—you can skip the glitter if you're not a fan. Use snowflake stampers or cookie cutters to make some wintery designs.

Green Apple Playdough

You'll love the tart smell of this Green Apple-Scented Playdough by Life Over C's. The secret to the yummy scent is green apple flavored Jello. However, kids shouldn't taste this one because of its high salt content.

Chamomile Playdough

This Chamomile Playdough from Natural Beach Living is another calming recipe to help your kids relax and have some quiet time. The recipe is made with fresh chamomile flowers, but if you can't find those, you may try using chamomile tea in the recipe instead.

Mint Scented Playdough

Mint is a strong, refreshing scent that's so invigorating. Making and playing with this Mint-Scented Playdough from Laughing Kids Learn will make you think of Christmas, cold weather, or a stick of your favorite mint gum. It gets its scent from peppermint essence, but you could use peppermint extract or essential oil, too.

Solar System Edible Playdough

Use canned frosting and powdered sugar to make this Edible Solar System Playdough from Look We're Learning. Use blue frosting for the Earth playdough, yellow for the moon, red for Mars, etc. You get the idea!

Sand Playdough

Feel like you're at the beach again with this Sand Playdough from Mess for Less. Any kid who loves playing with sand will have a blast with this playdough, along with some seashells, sea glass, and ocean toys.

Cookie Dough Playdough

Make this fun Cookie Dough Playdough by Natural Beach Living to go along with the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. The playdough is edible, and it's a no-cook recipe. Easy peasy!

Hot Chocolate Playdough

Enjoy a tall cup of... Hot Chocolate Playdough! This super fun recipe from Fireflies and Mud Pies includes directions for the chocolate playdough and the white "marshmallow" playdough. Your kiddo will have so much fun serving up cups of hot chocolate for hours.

Cinnamon Cookie Playdough

This Cinnamon Cookie Playdough by The Craft Train smells like you're really baking, so your little kitchen helpers are sure to enjoy it. Provide some seeds, coffee beans, nuts, etc., to add to the pretend cookies.

Pin this list of easy homemade playdough recipes so you'll have one ready whenever the kids want to make a batch!