Sensory Exploration: Homemade Edible Toddler Friendly Play Dough

 My 22 month old twins are always getting into things. They are little balls of energy and really need an outlet for their tiny hands. So lately I have been scouring Pinterest looking for activities that will engage my twin's hands and minds. Today we made something called "Cloud Dough." This simple, toddler friendly recipe is so easy to make; it only has two ingredients. 

Letting kids play with dough is great for sensory exploration! Kids love to squeeze the dough and squish it through their fingers. Playing with dough develops fine motor skills and fosters creativity.

Your children will never get bored playing with dough if you change it up regularly; you can add different items to change the texture, such as beans, buttons, dry pasta, sand, etc. You can add scented oils to make aromatic dough. If you add relaxing scents such as lavender or chamomile you can actually make play dough time a sort of calming aromatherapy time. Flavors can be added to my toddler safe edible dough, such as vanilla, cocoa powder, cinnamon, etc. And don't forget all of the "tools" you can use with play dough, such as a rolling pin, cookie cutters, shapes, etc. Check out The Imagination Tree for an even more extensive list of things to do with dough. (Remember, if you use my recipe it is safe to eat!)

What you will need:

• 1 medium bowl
• 1/2 cup of unrefined coconut oil (you can use any oil you like)
• 1 cup of flour
• *optional*- Food coloring of your choice

How to:

Melt the oil; add in a drop or two of food coloring (if wanted) and then mix in the flour slowly until the desired texture is achieved. 

Make this dough close to the time when you are actually going to use it. And do not leave the dough sitting in direct sunlight, as the oil will melt and make the dough very stick and tacky. 

Side note: you cannot save this dough, it just becomes a hard lump. So play with it and enjoy it in one day.