Strawberry Scented Sweetheart Play Dough

Britnee Lesser for Confident Motherhood

I have always loved Valentine’s Day! My family always made it so special. I remember waking up to bouquets, balloons and chocolates from my dad as a child, and having new shoes delivered to my dorm room from my mom on my first Valentine’s Day away at college. An entire day devoted to finding special ways to fawn over our loved ones is just irresistible to me! 

Today, I decided to put a Valentine’s Day spin on one of Sam and Lucy’s very favorite things — homemade play dough! Of course, making it pink was a must (to Lucy’s delight). But adding a strawberry fragrance is what really made them fall in love! They helped me mix the ingredients, and then played with the play dough, cutting out hearts, rolling, kneading, pressing, and smashing, for a full hour. I even let them eat some strawberries while they played. 

That first time playing with a fresh hunk of homemade play dough is just the best. It’s still warm, so their little fingers stay toasty on a cold February day — and they’re very enamored with the unique texture and scent of each batch. I would give this recipe two big thumbs up, and so would my kids!

Instructions

Add food coloring (and strawberry extract if using) to water, and bring to a boil.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. 
Add the vegetable oil and mix. 
Pour the boiling water into the mixture, and knead into dough. I use my Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook attachment on speed setting 2 for this step.
After the dough is formed, add the conditioner (and glitter if using) and continue to knead for about a minute until distributed. 
Allow to cool slightly before playing.
Store in an airtight container

That's it. Now time to play, duh! (See what we did there?)

We hope you love this easy and fun activity! Let us know if you try it with your kids and tag us using #confidentkidscrafts