Homemade Playdough!

I work with mostly autistic students and fidgets are a necessary tool for a calm day. Fidgets are toys or items that keep students' hands busy, which will allow them to focus and thus facilitating learning. The problem is that some fidgets can be very expensive. I have found that something simple like playdough is loved by everyone. The bonuses of making your own play dough is that it saves you money, it lasts longer, and it is a fun activity to do with all of your students. I bought a ton of Easter eggs from the Dollar Store and I felt like the eggs would be the perfect container to be able to take the play dough home or keep in their desks. 
My students were very excited today, because they earned enough points on ClassDojo to make their very own play dough! My sister found the perfect recipe at Imagination Tree. It is very simple and easy to follow and the play dough lasts much longer than store bought play dough. The trick to keep the food coloring under control is to add it to the boiling water and then add the water with food coloring to your dry ingredients. I have a tea kettle in my room, so I used that to get hot water. After you add the hot water to the dry mix, use a spoon to stir the ingredients together and the mixture cools down rather quickly so that the students can knead their dough. 
My students were thrilled with the result and asked if we could make it again next week. :)