No-Cook Playdough

Over the weekend, Baby Bear got to play with playdough for the first time! I actually made two kinds of playdough that day, one a no-cook recipe and one with peanut butter. I gave him the no-cook dough because it was evening, there was a 99.9% chance he would taste it, and the one with peanut butter contained a decent amount of sugar. :)

At first, Baby Bear just stared at the dough looking a little confused about what it was. Was it food? Was it a toy? Then, he started poking and prodding it. This must have passed his initial test because the next thing I knew he was merrily squishing it between his fingers. This lasted for a few minutes before the inevitable taste test. He must have like the saltiness because he kept trying to eat more. Papa Bear and I had to take the dough away after only about 5 minutes of play time because we did not want him to get sick off it. (The recipe is non-toxic and technically edible, but I imagine tasting more than just a little would leave one not feeling so well.)

I will try this activity with Baby Bear again soon, though. I think it was a great sensory exploration activity, and with practice Baby Bear will learn all the wonderful things he can do with playdough besides try to eat it.

Initial reaction

Papa Bear pulling Baby Bear's hand back as he tried to take a second taste

 This is the recipe I used from www.NurtureStore.co.uk:

1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Stir together in a large bowl then play!