Super Fresh Lemon Playdough Recipe

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This lemon playdough recipe will awaken all the senses! The base is a classic cooked playdough recipe, but since it has a few add-ins it make it a lemon scented playdough, it smells just like summer! You’ll find all the tips and tricks for how to make playdough with a lemon scent.

This homemade playdough recipe is quick and easy, and if you’re a novice at making homemade playdough, this is a good recipe to start with. It is soft and smooth with just the right amount of pull, and the citrusy scent will keep your little ones playing for hours this summer.

ball of lemon playdough on parchment paper using classic cooked playdough recipe | lemonade playdough with lemon juice
This lemon playdough gets it’s bright scent from lemon juice and lemon extract.

This lemony playdough is like sunshine after a long, rainy day. It’s welcoming and refreshing and invigorating. It makes you want to sit down and have a chat with an old friend. My preschoolers love the strong lemon scent of this playdough.

The base of this lemon playdough is my classic cooked playdough recipe, which turns out perfectly every time. Add a few lemon manipulatives for even more fun.

This playdough recipe is just a sample of what you can find in my Playdough Cookbook. This cookbook is a collection of 45 playdough and sensory dough recipes. There are no repeats. Some recipes are from my grandmother’s recipe box, and others are new and modern, like my Jello playdough recipe.

Why Make Lemon Playdough

Lemon playdough is an excellent addition to any preschooler’s sensory play activities. It smells like summer in a playdough.

Depending on the add-ins for fragrance, you can make the aroma as weak or as powerful and you desire. I always prefer a stronger fragrance, but it depends on the needs of your children if you are using this playdough for the sensory benefits.

Is Playdough a Sensory Activity?

Sensory play is a vital part of cognitive development, encouraging children’s five senses to develop and strengthen. And the sense of smell is one of the most important in sensory play; it’s the one that has the most direct path to the brain and has a powerful effect on memory and mood. That’s why preschool and kindergarten teachers are adding scented playdough to their clam-down boxes.

So yes, playdough is a sensory activity. Here’s how:

  • Sense of touch
    • Preschoolers can explore the texture of the playdough. Is the playdough smooth, stretchy, chunky, crumbly, etc?
  • Sense of sight
    • Some preschoolers respond to bright and playful colors, while others care calmed by muted colors.
  • Sense of smell
  • Sense of hearing
    • Preschoolers can listen closely to the sounds that playdough makes as they roll and smoosh and slap the playdough to make pancakes.
  • Sense of taste
ingredients for ball of lemon playdough on parchment paper using classic cooked playdough recipe | lemonade playdough with lemon juice

Ingredients for Lemon Playdough

All you need for this recipe are the same basic ingredients as any traditional playdough recipe.

  • flour
  • salt
  • cooking oil
  • cream of tartar
  • lemon scent

How to Make Lemon Scented Playdough

There are a few different ways to add lemon scent to playdough. If you have a strong basic playdough recipe from which to work, adding the lemon scent is easy and typically doesn’t require any tweaking to the original recipe.

Here are some ways to make lemonade playdough.

ingredients for ball of lemon playdough on parchment paper using classic cooked playdough recipe | lemonade playdough with lemon juice
There are lots of different ways to create lemon scented playdough, but my preference is adding some kool aid and lemon extract.

How to Make This Easy Lemon Playdough Recipe

Even though the recipe base is a cooked playdough recipe done on the stovetop, it’s easy peasy and only takes a couple of minutes to throw together a batch.

Measure the flour, salt, oil, and cream of tartar into a medium saucepan and whisk together. Add in the kool aid packets and lemon extract. Whisk again.

Add the water, stir and turn on the heat to medium. Continue stirring and cook over medium heat until the dough forms into a ball and is pulling away from saucepan.

Allow to dough to cool completely before continuing to the next steps.

Next, knead the dough thoroughly. It might be temping to skip this step because your preschooler might underfoot and begging you to play, but don’t. Kneading the playdough will help create a smoother playdough.

Once the dough is kneaded, you can add more lemon scent if desired.

How to Add More Punch to Lemon Scented Playdough

Once the dough is completely cooled, you can add in some extra lemon scent. At this point, you can:

  • add a tablespoon or so of lemon zest
  • add a few drops of lemon essential oils

Adding in either of these lemon scents will give the playdough an even stronger lemon punch, but it is completely unnecessary.

Alternatively, if you do not have lemon extract or lemonade kool aid on hand, the above two options are good. Just play around with it!

My Lemon Playdough is just one example from my Playdough Cookbook.

What Can I Add to Playdough for Sensory Play

Well, fragrance is a good place to start! People are naturally drawn to pleasant fragrances because it certain scents are so strongly connected to happy memories. Here are some other scented play dough recipes you are sure to love!

Use Lemon Playdough for Pretend Play

If you’re going to make a lemon playdough, you may as well go all out with a lemon or lemonade preschool theme by adding some fun manipulatives. Here is what I love to use:

I mean, look at how fun these plastic lemon wedges are! Add in a few textured playdough rolling pins and let the playdough fun begin!

Lemon Playdough Recipe

Lemon Playdough Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: easy

This lemon playdough smells just like summertime!

Materials

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup salt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon extract or 2 packets lemonade kool-aid
  • additional lemon flavorings (optional)
  • food coloring (optional)

Tools

  • medium saucepan
  • whisk
  • wooden spoon
  • parchment paper

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together flour, salt, kool aid, and cooking oil.
  2. Mix in water and lemon extract.
  3. Cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly until he dough forms into a ball.
  4. Allow to cool completely on parchment paper.
  5. Once cooled, knead well to ensure the dough is smooth and the ingredients are well mixed.

Notes

Additional Ways to Add Lemon Fragrance

  • Knead in 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • Knead in several drops of lemon essential oil

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© Sarah Punkoney, MAT