Need a quick boredom buster that will keep the kids entertained for a good long while? Try making a batch of homemade grape scented play dough, then add some glitter for “galaxy dough”!!
Clara adores anything shiny and sparkly, so this was a HUGE hit for her! I hardly ever use glitter in crafts (it gets EVERYWHERE), but this was a fantastic way to contain the glitter mess. She was thrilled!!
This play dough kept her entertained for HOURS! I thought I would share the recipe here with you, in case you’d like to make some of your own too.
To make your own grape scented galaxy dough, you will need:
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsp. oil
1 cup flour
1 packet unsweetened grape flavored drink mix
Combine water, salt, cream of tartar, and packet of drink mix in a medium saucepan. Cook on low heat while stirring, and add the oil. Next, slowly add in the flour a little at a time. Keep stirring until it starts to pull away from the pan, then transfer to a cutting board to cool. As soon as it is cool enough to touch, begin kneading the dough. It will become a lovely play dough consistency with a grape scent to it, and then it’s time to knead in the glitter!!
We used plenty of gold, black, and blue glitter to make our galaxy dough, but you can use whatever colors you’d like.
The girls loved adding glass gems and sequins to their galaxy dough to make stars and constellations! Leftover galaxy dough can be saved in zip topped bags for several weeks and played with again and again!
Have fun!!
Dear Valerie,
When I walked in and saw tubes of glitter, I immediately thought “you must not be feeling well.”
I was impressed — the glitter really does stick in the play dough and I won’t be finding it in my hair for weeks. Apparently all of my glitter woes could have been cured with play dough!
Love,
Mark
I know what you mean. I kept thinking there’s a reason Demetri Martin refers to glitter as the “herpes of all craft supplies”. Honestly, I’m pretty sure this is the first time EVER I’ve crafted the stuff and won’t be finding it EVERYWHERE for weeks!
I can smell it now! The glitter is a nice addition. Usually I just said no to glitter at craft time. One caveat: when my kids were small (20-plus years ago), we made drink mix-scented play dough. Smelled delicious, but it *will* stain. We dropped a small piece on the kitchen floor and I stepped on it with my blue socks. The red stain is still there to this day. It never faded, so just be careful of your carpet and clothes. 🙂
I am totally the same way w/ glitter, Stephanie! If we do anything involving glitter (which hardly EVER happens), it’s done outdoors lol! We tried scratch ‘n sniff paint made w/ drink mix and that will stain. We didn’t have any staining issues with the play dough other than when it was first being kneaded up, with a batch of red in particular, the red came off on my hands just a bit. Good idea to keep in mind, just in case! Thanks for mentioning!! 🙂
My son saw me looking on Pinterest today and told me that he wanted to try this play dough. I luckily had grape kool-aid in the pantry and we made it right away. He loved adding the glitter. He had fun making planets and decorating it with star beads. Thank you for the quick idea today. It gave me a peaceful hour of play!
I’m SO happy to hear that, Kim! Your comment just made my day!! 🙂
HA!! I can’t believe someone else knows about that Demitri joke! That’s awesome!
Thank you for a great idea — jewels in the playdough — brilliant! I just made some purple lavendar and green mint playdough and this would be a great addition to our collection 🙂
Oooo… green mint sounds lovely! I may have to try that too!! 🙂
Hello Valerie
Can I make this without the grape drink mix? Or do I have to use more of any of the other ingrediënts in this case?
By the way; love the Demitri joke!
It can be made without the grape mix and no need to substitute, however if you would like to add color to it, you can use a few drops of food coloring, if desired. Hope this helps! 🙂
My Daughter Is Gluten Free. Do You Know What I Can Use Instead Of Flour?
Hi Helen! This is a great question! I do not have experience with gluten free play dough, however here is a link to a very simple homemade gluten free play dough recipe that has excellent reviews from others. I hope it is helpful! –> http://celiacfamily.com/gluten-free-play-dough/ Thanks for stopping by. 🙂