This gingerbread playdough recipe is a great way to enjoy fun sensory play and more.
With only four steps, you’ll quickly have hands-on activities to use that are perfect for sensory play in the fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time of year. This recipe for delightfully smelling playdough is a fantastic frugal option for helping your kids have fun while building important skills.
This variation of our favorite homemade playdough recipe has been a big hit with my boys (and me!) for years. We’ve used it for all sorts of creative play and learning. It stores very well and adds a amazing aroma to your room when in use.
Engaging Way to Boost Learning and Play
Aah! There’s something special about the smell of gingerbread, especially around the holidays!
If you’re looking for a frugal and easy way to take hands-on activities to the next level, this homemade gingerbread playdough recipe is a fantastic pick. You can use it any day of the year for a fun pick-me-up and it’s especially great for:
Whey my boys were younger, I loved making a batch of this aromatic playdough recipe to pair with our gingerbread fun before Christmas. We’d alternate between having gingerbread-themed playdough fun and enjoying printable activities, like our activity cube, bookmarks, and activities. Oh, and our DIY gingerbread house coloring and 3D house set continues to be big hits.
As the holidays get closer, I wanted to make sure that I shared this recipe with you to enjoy with your children!
Ingredients for This Homemade Gingerbread Playdough Recipe
This recipe uses ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. Prior to making, determine if you have enough of each ingredient – especially if you’re doubling or tripling. If you’re working with a group of children or just want a big batch, I recommend that you make extra.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your gingerbread playdough:
vegetable oil (or canola oil)
How to Make This Gingerbread Playdough Recipe
Get ready for some seriously cool Christmas fun that’s ready in a few minutes! Making homemade playdough is one of my favorite things because it’s awesome to watch the transformation from sticky, gooey mess to smooth, squishy ball to play with your hands!
Gather the ingredients (see above) and these materials:
- large cooking pot (or saucepan)
- spoon (I like to use a wood spoon because it’s more sturdy and less likely to have the playdough stick to it while I’m stirring.)
- wax paper or parchment paper
- sealable plastic sandwich bags (or other containers that can be sealed) for safe storage and to extend the life of your DIY playdough
The playdough should be ready after a cook time of approximately 4-5 minutes. That’s less than 10 minutes until you have gingerbread playdough to enjoy with your kids!
Simple Steps for Making This DIY Playdough Recipe
01
Add dry ingredients.
In a pot, add all the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
02
Add wet ingredients.
Stir in the water and oil. Mix well. Place pot over medium heat.
03
Cook until ball of dough.
Stir frequently for 4-5 minutes until a dough ball forms.
04
Remove from heat and cool.
Take the pot off the heat. Move dough to cool on a piece of parchment or wax paper.
If you’re adding food coloring, do that now. Enjoy!
Ideas for Using for Gingerbread Fun with Kids
With years of experience making and using playdough with my boys, I’m excited to share some of the things that we’ve tried and learned from our experiences.
If you’d like a darker color, use brown food coloring (or other color).
Using with multiple students? I suggest that you divide the dough into 6 portions. OR make a double batch!
Wait until the dough is completely cooled off before storing. This simple step can help prevent condensation from building up in the plastic bag (or other storage container).
Consider having frugal ways to decorate your gingerbread playdough creations. A few things to try include:
- Beads (pony beads, wood beads, beads with letters for spelling fun!)
- Buttons
- Pipe cleaners
- Paper clips
- Ribbon, yarn, or string
- Large sequins
- Mini-erasers
- Small plastic toys
- Scraps of fabric or felt
- Googly eyes
- Wood craft sticks (popsicle sticks)
⭐ Easily add some sparkle to your playdough with glitter. It makes the coolest effects and can add a neat holiday or seasonal touch.
Gingerbread Playdough for the Win!
Nervous that this type of activity could be messy? With a few clear rules and expectations, your students can learn to contain their work. Also, kid-safe tools made for using with playdough can keep them engaged and focused.
Printable playdough mats (like our Christmas, emotions, and number playdough mats) are smart ways to add learning fun and give a specific area for students to use their playdough.
After you make and use this gingerbread playdough recipe, please let me know what you think. Tell me about your experiences and what you did to make it extra fun. What did you do to customize it? And what type of playdough activities did you and your kids enjoy? Let me know in the comments area at the bottom of this post!