Easy Play Dough Recipe With UK Measurements

Playing with play dough together is a brilliant way to support children’s communication, creativity, and confidence. Chatting while you play helps develop language and social skills, while squeezing, rolling and shaping the dough strengthens the small muscles in the hands and fingers needed for writing, drawing, and using scissors later on.

Sensory play is also fantastic for brain development. Exploring textures, colours and movement helps build important brain connections and supports attention, focus, and learning. Giving children the freedom to decide what to make encourages imagination, problem-solving, and independent thinking, while letting them take the lead helps build confidence and self-esteem.

How to Make Your Own Play Dough

Our easy homemade play dough recipe with UK measurements only takes a few minutes to make and can last for quite a while if stored properly.

To make one ball of play dough you will need:

• 8 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 60ml warm water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Food colouring if you would like coloured play dough (we use gel food colouring)

• Essential Oils if you would like scented play dough

• Glitter, crunchy bits or any other texture additions if you feel like it

Mix all the ingredients together until a dough forms. Add a little extra flour if it feels too sticky, or a splash of water if it feels too dry.

Storage Tips

Store your play dough in a sealed sandwich bag or airtight container in the fridge to help keep it fresh for longer. Squeezing the air out before sealing will help stop it drying out.

Suitable Age Range

This homemade play dough recipe is best suited for children aged two years and above. Younger children should always be supervised during play.

Can Children Eat It?

Although the ingredients used are edible, the high salt content means play dough is not designed to be eaten. Small amounts accidentally tasted during play are generally fine, but it should not be used as a snack.

Play Dough Activity Ideas

There are endless opportunities for learning and conversation while playing with play dough. Encourage children to talk about what they are making and how the dough feels. Introduce descriptive words such as “squishy”, “stretchy”, “sticky” and “smooth”.

If you use food colouring, you can explore colour names and practise using descriptive sentences. You could also try:

• Making animals, faces or favourite characters
• Building the tallest tower possible
• Creating letters, numbers or shapes
• Telling stories using play dough creations
• Making pretend food for a play café or shop
• Rolling snakes, balls or patterns together

Hands-on sensory play helps children stay engaged for longer and supports early learning in a fun and natural way. Activities like counting shapes, comparing sizes, describing textures, and solving little building challenges all help lay strong foundations for future English and maths skills when children start school.