This peppermint playdough recipe is a perfectly delightful way to boost sensory play and more.
Using only three steps, this DIY activity will have you quickly enjoying hands-on activities to use that are wonderful for the holidays (like Christmas) or any time of year. This playdough smells amazing and is helpful for focus and energy. It’s also a fantastic frugal option for helping your kids have fun while building important skills.
I’ve made this variation of our favorite homemade playdough recipe many time to use with my boys over the years. We’ve used it for a whole bunch of creative play and learning. It stores very well and adds a awesome aroma to your room when in use.
Creative Sensory Play That Helps with Focus
Peppermint is one of my favorite smells of the holidays. Well, really any time of year!
Eden’s Garden is where I go for quality essential oils that are affordable. I get both essential oil singles (like pure peppermint) and essential oil blends there. My absolute favorite blend is Candy Cane Lane.
As I was enjoying the delightful smell of peppermint oils wafting from the diffuser on my desk the other day, I thought back on all of the times that my boys and I have had a blast making and using peppermint playdough. I often made a batch or two right before the holidays so we’d be ready for hands-on activities at all times.
At dinner that night, I shared those memories of Christmas fun and more with my younger boys (now 10 and 13). I wasn’t that surprised when they asked to make more of this refreshing recipe. All of us still like to have something to do with our hands when we listen to audiobooks as part of our homeschool morning time.
It’s been shown that peppermint has numerous benefits, including improved focus and concentration. If you’d like to boost your learning fun and keep your student engaged, try our easy-to-make peppermint playdough recipe!
Ingredients for This Homemade Peppermint Playdough Recipe
This recipe for making homemade playdough calls for ingredients that you probably already have. I recommend checking that you have enough of each ingredient – especially if you’re doubling or tripling. If working with a group of kids or just would like a big batch, I suggest that you make extra.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your peppermint playdough:
vegetable oil (or canola oil)
peppermint essential oil or peppermint extract
How to Make This Peppermint Playdough Recipe
This DIY project will be ready in minutes so it’s perfect for when you need a quick activity for kids. I love making homemade playdough because it’s incredibly cool to watch the transformation from sticky, gooey mess to pliable ball to play with in your hands!
Collect the ingredients listed above, as well as 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 final product should be ready after a cook time of about 4-5 minutes. That’s less than 10 minutes until you have peppermint playdough to enjoy with your kids!
3 Steps for Making This DIY Playdough Recipe
01
Add and mix dry ingredients.
In a saucepan or pot, add all the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
02
Add liquid ingredients.
Add the water and oils (vegetable and essential) to the dry mixture. Place the pot over medium heat and stir to combine.
03
Stir and heat until ball forms.
Stir frequently for 4-5 minutes until a dough ball forms.
Take the pot off the heat. Move the 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 Peppermint Fun with Kids
After reflecting on my years of experience making and using playdough with my boys, I’m ready to share some of the things that we’ve discovered from our experiences.
Food coloring (or food dye) is an option. You can use red or really any color that you’d like. Or just leave it as-is!
If you’ll be using with multiple students, I suggest that you divide the dough into 6 portions and then hand out. Those portions will be small so it’s a good idea to make a double batch!
Wait until the dough is completely cooled off before storing. By doing this simple step, you can prevent condensation from building up in the plastic bag (or other storage container).
Easily boost your playdough fun with frugal ways to decorate your creations. A few things to try include:
- Beads (pony beads, wood beads, beads with letters for spelling fun!)
- Buttons
- Pipe cleaners
- Paper clips
- Large sequins
- Mini-erasers
- Small plastic toys
- Scraps of fabric or felt
- Googly eyes
- Wood craft sticks (popsicle sticks)
- Glitter – you can add this immediately after mixing OR during play!
Scentsational Fun with Peppermint Playdough
Concerned that this type of hands-on activity could get messy? Set a few clear rules and expectations, to teach your students how to contain their work. Also, kid-safe tools made for using with playdough can keep them engaged and focused on their work area.
Printable playdough mats (like our Christmas, emotions, and number playdough mats) are more easy ways to take learning fun to the next level AND provide a specific area for young learners to use their playdough.
After you make and use this peppermint playdough recipe, let me know what you think. Share your experiences and what you did to make it extra fun. How did you do to customize? Let me know in the comments area at the bottom of this post!