Make Homemade Kool-Aid Play Dough: Bright, Scented Recipe

Making homemade playdough has been a lifesaver on rainy days. My kids love helping make this Kool-Aid playdough and then jumping right into imaginative play. It’s a simple, budget-friendly craft that produces soft, colorful dough and keeps little hands busy for hours. This easy recipe is great for toddlers through school-age kids and makes multiple colors if you mix flavors one batch at a time.

Kool Aid Playdough Recipe

Keeping kids entertained doesn’t have to be expensive. Homemade playdough is an excellent craft project that’s inexpensive, quick to make, and fun to customize. If you buy multi-packs of Kool-Aid, this recipe is a perfect way to use extra packets and create bright, kid-safe colors for play (note: this is a craft item and not for eating).

A piece of homemade playdough with cut-out shapes.

Why Use Cream of Tartar?

Cream of tartar helps give playdough a soft, elastic texture and helps it hold together longer. It also improves the dough’s stability so it won’t dry out as quickly. If you don’t have it, the dough will still work but the texture will be slightly denser; lemon juice or a small amount of vinegar can be used as a mild substitute.

Homemade Playdough Recipe (with Kool-Aid)

A quick, colorful playdough recipe using Kool-Aid for scent and color. Perfect for rainy day crafts and sensory play.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Equipment

Medium saucepan
Spoon or spatula
Parchment or wax paper
Airtight container or resealable bag for storage

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup kosher salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
0.26 ounces Kool-Aid drink mix (about 2 packets, 0.13 oz each)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, cream of tartar, and Kool-Aid powder until blended and lump-free.
Pour in the water and oil and stir to combine.
Heat the mixture over medium-low while stirring constantly. Continue until the dough thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan and gathers around the spoon.
Remove the dough from the pan and place it on parchment or wax paper. When cool enough to handle, knead until smooth and elastic. If the dough feels dry, knead in a teaspoon of water or a little oil. Let it cool completely before giving it to children to play with.

Notes

Important: This is a craft recipe and not intended for consumption.

* Flour type: This recipe was tested with all-purpose flour. Alternative flours may change the texture.

** Cream of tartar: It improves texture and shelf life. Lemon juice or white vinegar can substitute in a pinch.

*** Oil: Neutral oils like vegetable or canola work best. Avoid strongly scented oils such as olive oil.

Storage and tips

Store playdough immediately in airtight containers or tightly sealed resealable bags with excess air pressed out.
If the dough starts to dry, knead in a small amount of oil to soften it—dough that hardens completely cannot be restored.
To intensify color, add a few drops of food coloring when combining liquids in the pot.
Keep stored at room temperature for up to 2 months when sealed properly.

Author: Becky Hardin

Course: Craft

How to Make Homemade Playdough with Kool-Aid — Step by Step

Prep: Choose the Kool-Aid flavor/color you want and measure your ingredients. Work one color at a time; to make multiple colors, prepare separate small batches.

Ingredients for homemade kool-aid play dough.

Add flour: Place 1 cup of all-purpose flour into a medium saucepan (off the heat).

Whisk dry ingredients: Add ½ cup kosher salt, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, and the Kool-Aid packets; whisk until smooth and lump-free.

Adding Kool-Aid powder to a saucepan with flour.

Add liquids: Pour in 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon oil, stirring to combine.

Water and oil added to a pan of Kool-aid powder.

Heat and stir: Warm the mixture over medium-low, stirring constantly until it thickens and forms a cohesive dough that pulls away from the pan. Avoid overcooking to prevent dryness and cracking.

Knead and cool: Transfer the dough to parchment or wax paper and knead until smooth. Shape into a ball. If it feels dry, add a teaspoon of water or a little oil and knead again. Let cool before use.

Make more colors: Repeat the process with different Kool-Aid flavors to create a rainbow of playdough. Use or store each ball immediately to keep it soft.

different colors of homemade kool-aid playdough.

Storage

Homemade playdough dries out if exposed to air. Store finished dough in airtight containers or resealable bags with as much air removed as possible. Properly sealed, the dough will keep at room temperature for up to two months. If dough begins to feel slightly dry, knead in a small amount of oil to restore softness.