Are you looking for fun activities to do now that the kids are all at home? This DIY aromatherapy playdough recipe can fill hours and provide an outlet for your littles' creative energy (before that energy turns destructive)! Adding essential oils makes it a full sensory experience, and this recipe can be modified to fit your specific needs.

Need it gluten-free? Use rice flour! Don’t have Fractionated Coconut Oil? Use Almond or Grapeseed! 

Playdough is fun for people of all ages - there is a certain calmness that one can feel when using your hands to knead and play with playdough. This recipe has a nice smooth texture, and you can use natural dyes or food coloring for some pizzazz, or keep it simple and white.

When choosing EOs keep it light and select scents that accompany each other nicely and whose aromatherapy benefits align with your intended goal. Today we chose EOs for their calming and focusing effects.

Lavender (10 drops) Renowned for its calming properties, this one is an easy no-brainer. Readily on hand and never disappoints. 

Clary Sage & Peppermint (6/3 drops) Focus, Focus, Focus. Calm your mind and reduce anxiety with Clary Sage, while Peppermint helps to keep attention, stimulating one's ability to stay focused.

Rosemary & Grapefruit (7/3 drops) Another terrific option for staying focused. Rosemary EO is incredibly beneficial for memory retention and Grapefruit has a cheery aroma and is a great stress-reducing EO that is often used to help balance mood. 

Orange (10 drops) is another mood booster that we love. Well known to all, this aroma can lift a bad mood and help aid those living with anxiety and depression. It's sunny. It’s simple. It’s yet another no-brainer. 

Now let’s get to it…

Vegan | Makes 2 cups

1 Tbsp Fractionated Coconut Oil

2 Tbsp Cream of Tartar

1 Cup Flour

1/4 cup Salt

1 Cup Water

Essential Oils as recommended above

Note - You can use natural food coloring or dye in this recipe, or none at all. 

Instructions 

Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan and place the pan over medium heat while stirring constantly. As the mixture thickens into the dough it will become hard to stir…but continue stirring until it is a solid ball that holds together. REMOVE from heat and COOL.  Once cooled, knead until smooth and get squishing!

If you’re adding food coloring, you can add it at the beginning with the other ingredients for a batch that’s all one color.  Or if you want multiple colors, separate a few balls out after the dough has cooled a bit and knead in a few drops of coloring per ball.  Pro tip: use a plastic bag to avoid staining your hands.

Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator for longer life.  Keeps for up to three months.