My Mama Had a Dancing Heart

Just making a quick blog post to help me plan tomorrow's Handwork Hangout time. What I REALLY want to do is to make play dough! Zac needs some new sensory play things and I want to test a bunch of recipes that I chose for our "Christmas in July" summer camp. It snowed today and it's supposed to snow tomorrow, so cozy Winter activities are just the thing.

Story:

My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray

Play Dough Recipes:

Gingerbread Play Dough
from Simple Play Ideas

GINGERBREAD PLAY DOUGH RECIPE

1/4 cup Molasses
3/4 cup Cornstarch
4 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Water
2 tbl Vegetable oil
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
2 Tbl + 2 tsp Flour

Mix the cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice. Then add the water, oil, and molasses. Add 2 tablespoons of flour. Then keep adding flour 1/2 teaspoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, until your dough is no longer sticky.

This will make about a cup and a half of YUMMY smelling play dough!




Christmas Play Dough
from Nurture Store

Here’s the recipe with the special blend of herbs and spices that smells exactly like Christmas.

Start by filling your salt with all the Christmas flavour.

Take one cup of salt and add:

the zest of an orange or two clementines
some vanilla pod
a good grating of nutmeg
three cloves
some ground cinnamon
a bay leaf

Blitz this with a blender until everything is chopped, mixed and smelling wonderful.

Add two cups of plain (all purpose) flour
two tablespoons of vegetable oil
two tablespoons of cream of tartar

Pour in one and a half cups of boiling water and some food colouring. Red? Gold? Green?

Then mix it and form it into a dough. Add some extra shine to the play dough recipe by pouring in a little glycerine. Add a good dash of glitter for some festive sparkle. Knead the dough for a few minutes and then you’re done.

Wrap the play dough in a plastic bag and it will last into the new year.




Hot Chocolate Play Dough
from Fireflies and Mud Pies

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE PLAYDOUGH YOU WILL NEED

1 cup bleached flour
1 cup warm water
½ cup salt
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp Cream of Tartar
3 tsp cocoa powder

TO MAKE THE MARSHMALLOW PLAYDOUGH YOU WILL NEED

1 cup bleached flour
1 cup warm water
½ cup salt
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp Cream of Tartar

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the hot chocolate playdough in a medium-sized pot.

2. Stir the ingredients well, then cook over medium heat until the ingredients clump into a ball of dough.

3. Remove the dough from the pot, cool, then knead until smooth.

4. Wash the pot and repeat with the marshmallow playdough ingredients.




Chocolate Reindeer Play Dough
from Fantastic Fun and Learning

CHOCOLATE PLAY DOUGH RECIPE

Bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. In a large bowl combine 1.5 cups of flour, .5 cups salt, .5 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tbsp cream of tarter, and 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Stir in boiling water. Stir the dough with a fork for a few minutes until it has cooled a bit, then knead the dough with your hands until it is well mixed and no longer sticks to the bowl. Keep working at it and you should get a soft, squishy dough that smells terrific and doesn’t leave any mess behind. If it is too sticky, add a little extra flour. If it is too dry, add a little extra water. As a final touch we also like to add a few drops of glycerin to give the play dough a little shine.

Set this up as a "provocation" a la Reggio Emilia with some...
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

Acorns
Small twigs
Cranberries

This post contains affiliate links to the materials I actually use for homeschooling. I hope you find them helpful. Thank you for your support!