two questions about Play-doh

[Anonymous]

What happens when it dries out? If DC insists on keeping a creation and it dries out overnight, is there a way to resuscitate the dough? I tried adding a bit of water and kneading, which was a mistake. A drop of vegetable oil, maybe? Or must it just be tossed?

Has anyone had success with make-your-own dough? I have a few recipes but haven't yet tried. If I have to throw out the creations, I cannot keep buying dough at the store....

TIA!

[Anonymous]

Frankly, I find Play-Doh to be one of the cheapest toys out there.

We've never let creations sit out. Everything goes back in te tub and even then it does get tossed eventually. Seriously, the stuff costs about a nickel.

Have you considered using modelling clay? And isn't there other dough-like stuff now that doesn't dry out? Can't remember the name off-hand.

[Anonymous]

I make my own play dough. Microwave a cup of water with 1/4 cup salt until extremely hot (as if for a cup of tea). Pour into a bowl with 1 cup of flour and 1 TBS cream of tartar, and stir with a wooden spoon while adding additional flour until it reaches a dough like consistency. Knead to smoothness. You can add food coloring in the water, or at the end.

[Anonymous]

If you get the stuff that never dries out (I think it's called plasticine?) -- make sure your child will never play with it on a rug. It gets into carpet, and you can never get it out precisely because it never dries out. It sticks to carpet fibers, can't be vacuumed up and even a carpet shampooer could do the job. Just a warning.

[Anonymous]

11:41, where does it cost a nickel? Even at Dollar Tree, it's $1.00 for four small tubs. Do you make your own?