Christmas Playclay Brings Fun and Relaxation for Kids (and Parents)

Easy to make aromatic clay dough is soothing fun waiting to happen.

If you are looking for a little something to help keep your kiddos occupied while you do a few extra holiday tasks or during a family party, then our homemade play clay maybe just the thing you need.  The secret to our easy to make play clay is its relaxing scent.  The lavender brings about a calming effect and the tea tree oil helps to keep the dough germ free for multiple uses.  Perfect for children who experience anxiety, ADD or crankiness, this clay can be made in a flash with a few kitchen ingredients. 

You will need the following ingredients:

2 c. flour
1 c. salt
4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 c. water
3 tsp. oil (sunflower, canola, or veggie)
8-10 drops of lavender essential oil
3-4 drops of Tea Tree essential oil
~20 drops of your favorite water based food colouring - you could use red or green for Christmas.

Mix the dry ingredients in a clean, dry non-stick pot.  Next, add the water followed by the other wet ingredients including the food colouring.  Over medium heat, stir mixture briskly with a wooden or plastic spoon. (A rice paddle works best.)  Stir until the mixture gels very well.  This takes about 5 minutes or so.  Make sure to fold the mixture every so often in your mixing to prevent it from scorching.

Remove dough from the pot and place on large plate.  Flatten it out so that it cools faster.  Flip it over on the plate every five minutes or so.  Dough will be able to be handled for play in about 15 minutes or so.  Our children like to play with it warm sometimes although once thoroughly cooled, it hardens up to traditional play clay consistency.  Sometimes the warmth of the dough feels more comforting to little ones.

Note:  You could also use different essential oils for different ailments.  If your child is prone to headaches, using peppermint will make playtime therapeutic.  You could also add tea tree and eucalyptus for those with breathing ailments.  Because this activity is so easy and fairly inexpensive to make, you could make multiple batches or new batches weekly if it gets tons of little hands playing at once.  Seal up in airtight container or plastic bag in between play sessions.

Blessings for a great and restful weekend,

That Resource Team