How to Make Peanut Butter Play-Doh

Mix up tasty play-dough to give kids a treat.

Children often enjoy activities that involve digging in the dirt, sifting sand through hands and squishing play-dough through fingers. These sensory activities give children experiences that help them explore their surroundings. Combine manipulating play dough with the fun of eating it too by making peanut butter play dough. After children finish making their imaginative works of art, they can enjoy eating them.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups powdered milk
• 4 to 5 tbsp. honey or maple syrup
• Large bowl
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters
• Embellishments (raisins, chocolate chips, coconut)

Instructions

1. Measure the peanut butter, powdered milk and honey or maple syrup into the large bowl.

2. Knead the ingredients well with your hands. The consistency should be smooth and pliable -- not too sticky. Continue adding powdered milk until you can knead the play-dough without it sticking to your hands.

3. Give children chunks of play-dough for playing. Kids can roll it, shape it, cut it and eat it.

4. Demonstrate how to roll out the play-dough with the rolling pin. Encourage kids to use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

5. Decorate the cutouts with the embellishments, adding raisins, chocolate chips and coconut to the tops of the shapes.

6. Allow kids to eat their creations.

Tips & Warnings

• Use maple syrup instead of honey if children under age one may consume any of the play-dough. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, honey can cause botulism in infants under one year of age.

• Do not use peanut butter play-dough if any children have peanut allergies.

References

• Purdue University; Come Play With Me; Judith A. Myers-Walls
• Kid's Health; Infant Botulism; Mary L. Gavin; June 2008