Gluten Free Playdough Recipe
Keeping playtime fun, safe, and inclusive is essential, especially with the rise in food allergies. If you’re wondering how to make playdough that works for everyone, this gluten free playdough recipe is the answer!
Traditional playdough often uses all-purpose flour, making it unsuitable for kids with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease. That’s why we’ve developed this simple and effective gluten-free playdough recipe using rice flour and cornstarch, ensuring every child can join in the fun.
When you have allergies and sensitivities in the classroom, it can sometimes be hard to find a homemade playdough recipe promotes inclusivity during playtime. This gluten free playdough recipe is an excellent alternative to traditional recipes that call for all purpose flour.
By using rice flour and cornstarch in this recipe, we ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all children.
Rice flour serves as a fantastic base; it’s smooth, easy to work with, and hypoallergenic, making it a wonderful alternative for those avoiding gluten. Cornstarch adds a silky texture, allowing the playdough to hold its shape and mimic the softness of traditional playdough.
This playdough recipe works great for molding and shaping with our playdough alphabet mats.
Having a gluten free playdough recipe on hand can be a life saver in the classroom if you have students with allergies. Be sure to print out this recipe and pin it, so that you always have it on hand when you need it.
This recipe is just one of many playdough recipes that have been tested in my own preschool classroom. Try these other recipes in our playdough cookbook.
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45 Playdough Recipes$10.00
Why Choose Gluten-Free Playdough?
Gluten-free playdough isn’t just a trend; it’s an essential adaptation for many classrooms and homes.
Here’s why:
- Allergy-Friendly: Many children have gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
- Safe for All: Using gluten-free ingredients ensures that every child can participate in play without worrying about allergic reactions.
- Peace of Mind: Ensures that accidental ingestion doesn’t lead to discomfort or health issues.
Playdough Recipe without Gluten
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Gluten free playdough requires mostly ingredients that can be found in any home. The special ingredient here is the rice flour. If you don’t have that readily available, you can try using finely ground oatmeal, but the texture will remain more grainy.
Ingredients
- rice flour
- cornstarch
- salt
- cream of tartar
- vegetable oil
- water
- Food coloring (optional)
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Kitchen Supplies Needed
To create your gluten-free playdough, you’ll find these kitchen supplies essential:
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk or spoon for stirring
- Airtight container for storage
- Measures approximately 7″D, 8.25″D, 9.75″D
- Hand wash recommended
- Holds 32 , 64 and 96 oz respectively
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How to Make Gluten Free Playdough
Making this playdough is a straightforward process. It’s easy peasy, just like all our other homemade playdough recipes.
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients
Begin by gathering a large mixing bowl. Add rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and cream of tartar. Use a whisk or spoon to combine the dry ingredients thoroughly, ensuring there are no clumps.
Step 2: Add Wet Ingredients
Gradually pour in vegetable oil and water into the dry mixture. Stir continuously to blend the ingredients, watching as they slowly come together to form a cohesive mixture.
This is also the step where you can add food coloring, too.
Step 3: Cook the Mixture
Transfer the combined mixture to a non-stick pan set over medium heat. As you cook, stir constantly to prevent sticking and ensure even heat distribution. Pay attention to the consistency; the mixture will gradually thicken and transform into a dough-like texture.
Step 4: Knead the Dough
Once the dough has formed and is no longer sticky, carefully take it out of the pan. Allow it to cool for a few moments until it’s manageable. Then, knead the dough on a clean surface, working it until it achieves a smooth and elastic consistency that feels just right.
Step 5: Add More Color if Desired
If you want to add a splash of color to your dough, divide it into smaller portions. Take a few drops of food coloring and knead them into each portion, working the dough until the color is evenly distributed throughout. Enjoy the vibrant hues as you create your project!
What to Do with Gluten Free Playdough
This may sound obvious, but I get asked this all the time! What do you do with playdough? What are some fun playdough activities?
Once you’ve made your gluten-free playdough, there’s a lot you can do with it. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Shape and Sculpt: Encourage children to create shapes, animals, and objects. This helps with fine motor skills and creativity.
- Learning Activities: Use playdough to form letters, numbers, and simple words. It’s a fun way to incorporate learning into play.
- Sensory Play: Add textures like glitter, sand, or small beads to the playdough to enhance sensory experiences.
- Invitations to Play: This is out favorite way to use playdough! Set up thematic play scenarios, such as a bakery or a zoo, where children can use the playdough to create food items or animals.
- Printable Playdough Mats: Playdough mats provide a format for children to engage creatively while developing their fine motor skills in a structured manner. Simply print them out, and invite your little ones to create on top of these.
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45 Playdough Recipes$10.00
Other Skin and Allergy-Sensitive Playdough Recipes
If you’re looking for more allergy-friendly options, here are a few other recipes to try:
-
45 Playdough Recipes$10.00
Gluten Free Playdough Recipe
Keeping playtime fun, safe, and inclusive is essential for every preschool teacher. With food allergies and sensitivities on the rise, it's important to have alternatives that cater to everyone. That's why we developed this gluten free playdough recipe.
Materials
- ½ cup white rice flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup table salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon oil
Tools
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk or spoon for stirring
- Airtight container for storage
Instructions
1. Whisk the dry ingredients together in the saucepan.
2. Add the oil and food coloring to the water and stir.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the saucepan and whisk to combine.
4. Over medium heat, stir constantly with a rubber spatula until all the liquid has absorbed and a ball of dough appears, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and place dough on a piece of parchment paper to cool.
6. When cool enough to handle, knead the dough until smooth.
7. Store in an airtight container.
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I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
