“Moon” Dough

The “we need some color” saga continues at our house. These days we’ve been forced to stay around home due to the beautiful weather (sarcasm). And when I say “around,” I mean “in” the house. I decided to whip up some homemade “moon” dough. It’s really a cross between Moon Dough and Play-Doh.

I like it because it’s made with only three ingredients: 3-in-1 wash, corn starch and food coloring.

I decided on the 3-in-1 wash because I love how it smells. You could also just use conditioner or even baby shampoo if you’d like. This dough is not for eating. So, if you have real little ones at home, wait a few years until they’re done putting things in their mouth.

Start out with 1 cup of corn starch and 1/4 cup of the wash. Knead it around with your hands. It may feel like there’s not enough liquid in there yet. There isn’t. Very gradually, add another 1/4 cup wash, just little by little.

At this point, it may help to use a spatula or a spoon. It may get somewhat sticky, but be patient and start using your hands to knead it. Knead it until it reaches a dough-like consistency.

You can either play with it like this, or add some color. We love color, so here’s where I put on my disposable gloves. Yep, you heard me. If the kids have been helping you up to this point, great. Now’s when it’s best that they just watch.

I divided the dough into four sections because I wanted four different colors. I put each section on a paper plate and added 3-4 drops of food coloring. I picked up the dough and kneaded it again until the color was mixed in well.

Before you start with your next color, wipe your gloves off with a paper toweling to prevent color transfer to the next color.

When I finished that step, I was left with four colorful balls of dough. Adding the food coloring this way gives it a marbleized effect.

Quick tip: It will take about 20 minutes or so for the food coloring to completely soak into the dough. Don’t try to play with it before the food coloring has enough time to dry and soak in or you’ll be left with very colorful hands.

Now, remember, this is not smooth Play-Doh. This will be more crumbly. It’s supposed to be. You can still cut out shapes and mold with it. It’s just not as flexible or pliable. It’s really a cool texture. I wouldn’t recommend the kids play with this in the living room. Direct them to the kitchen table/island or even send them outside to play with it if you make it in the summer.

I took each piece of dough and easily split it half so you could get a better idea of the consistency.

When my son started playing with Play-Doh, I remember I always tried to keep all of the colors separate. It stressed me out when he’d start to mix the colors. I’d let him do it, but I could feel my heart start to race. I’ve learned to just chill out. Let kids be kids. Let colors mix. Everything will be ok. In fact, it’s fun to combine the colors. So I did.

Next time you’re looking for something simple and fun to make with the kids, try this dough. It’s easy to make, smells great and has a texture that’s a bit different from what they’re probably used to. Have fun with it. And if you decide to mix your colors, too – more power to you. Enjoy!