Making salt dough: a hit at children's parties since the 1970s!

Children can easily make salt dough themselves, and it's a great learning activity. Through making salt dough, children explore concepts like heavy and light, more and less, and they learn about measuring and weighing. Additionally, playing with sensory materials like this has a calming and relaxing effect. The kneading and shaping of the dough helps to develop fine motor skills.

When children play with sensory materials, they engage many of their senses. Since the dough doesn’t have a fixed shape, it encourages creativity and imagination. The act of kneading and shaping it is soothing and relaxing—what a bonus!

Salt Dough Recipe

There are several types of salt dough you can make: the classic version, colored salt dough, or white salt dough. Let’s start with the classic version. You'll need the following ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of oil (olive oil or baby oil)

You will also need:

• A large bowl or pot
• Spoons
• Baking paper
• Optional: rolling pin, cookie cutters, lollipop sticks, forks, skewers

This recipe makes enough dough for 2 to 3 children. If you need more or less dough, just adjust the quantities accordingly.

Steps to Make Salt Dough

1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add a tablespoon of oil (we prefer baby oil for its pleasant scent).
3. Gradually add water while kneading the dough.
4. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water. If it’s too sticky, add more flour.
5. Knead the dough until it's smooth, and your salt dough is ready!

Making Colored Salt Dough

Want to add some color to your dough? You can use natural dyes like the water from boiled beets or spinach. Other options include watercolor, food coloring, or saffron. Mix these with the water before you begin kneading.

White Salt Dough Recipe

Regular salt dough tends to dry with a yellowish hue. If you prefer bright white dough, use cornstarch instead of flour. The proportions and method are slightly different:

• 1 cup of cornstarch
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of salt

Steps for White Salt Dough

1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan until the cornstarch and salt dissolve in the water.
2. Heat the mixture while stirring constantly until it thickens, similar to mashed potatoes.
3. Once thick, let the dough cool in a bowl, covering it with a damp cloth.
4. Knead the dough by hand until it’s no longer sticky.

You can adjust the dough quantity, but be sure to maintain the same ratios. White salt dough dries out faster than regular dough, but you can soften it by kneading with wet hands.

What Can You Make with Salt Dough?

Salt dough can be used to create all sorts of things—figurines, animals, or other imaginative shapes. For a decorative touch, add glitter, beads, or eyes. If you do, be sure to air-dry your creations rather than using the oven.

Drying Salt Dough

If you want to keep your creations, you can dry them in a couple of ways:

• In the oven: preheat to 100°C (210°F), place your creations on baking paper, and bake for about 2,5 hours.
• Air-drying: this takes a few days but is ideal if you've added glitter or beads.

Storing Salt Dough

You can store leftover dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Let it return to room temperature before using it again.

Have fun crafting, and don’t forget to snap a picture of your finished masterpiece!