Tip of the Day - Cook Up Some Non-Toxic Fun
With all the scary ingredients that seem to be lurking in toys these days, it’s hard to know what toys are safe to give your kids. But, if you make it yourself, you’ll know exactly what your child is playing with.
Here’s a recipe for an old favorite: Homemade Play Dough!
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 T oil
2 T cream of tartar
beet, spinach, and carrot juice
Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the dough with your hands until of proper consistency. Use as is, or divide into balls and add a few drops of the vegetable juices to make green, pink, and orange.
You can also use food coloring, if you have it.
I remember my nursery school teacher making this in a hot plate. I can still remember the way it tasted. Obviously, it’s not meant for eating, but since little kids put everything in their mouths anyway, wouldn’t you rather it contain only food-safe ingredients?
Unlike commercial brands of play dough it doesn’t contain petroleum based ingredients, and is fully biodegradable. And, since you can use ingredients you may already have in your kitchen, it’s inexpensive and doesn’t utilize a lot of packaging.