Festive gingerbread playdough

Some months ago I published a recipe for homemade playdough - the batch of playdough I made then (on 5th August) is still going strong - kept wrapped in the fridge it can last for ages.

But now I've discovered something new, something seasonal, something that smells so good you'll wish it were real edible dough - Gingerbread Scented Playdough. I've also based this loosely on the spices I use in my Gingerbread Syrup recipe (which I use to make gingerbread lattes at home).
And the wonderful thing about this is that the more you play with it, and the warmer it becomes, the more it smells...

You will need:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of warm water
2tsp of cream of tartar
1tsp oil
1/4 cup of table salt
1 heaped tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
Pinch of allspice

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat over a low-medium heat. Mix with a wooden spoon until it all comes together, forming a ball.

Not only does this smell like gingerbread, but the spices give it that lovely mottled brown colour - perfect for making pretend gingerbread men too!

Play dough

Lots of foody posts so far - here's my first crafty one. Again, this was from an activity pack that I did with the children.

A good old favourite, who doesn't like play dough? Over the last few years I've tried several recipes for homemade play dough but this one is by far the nicest. It's quick & easy and the final result is smooth, soft and squishy.
 

You will need:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of warm water
2tsp of cream of tartar
1tsp oil
1/4 cup of table salt

 Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat over a low-medium heat. Mix with a wooden spoon until it all comes together, forming a ball.

Knead until smooth, then play.

This lasts for ages too. Just keep it in a sealed bag.

For an extra dimension you could add some food colouring, or drops of scented oil. You could even try glitter!

Practising roses!

Note: Of course, using the saucepan is a hot job and that part is not recommended for children. But Mini liked scooping the ingredients and giving it a good mix together.
He also enjoyed playing with the dough whilst it was still warm, and kept giving Dollop status updates about how quickly it was cooling down.
This was Dollop's first time with play dough and she thoroughly enjoyed it, she didn't even try to eat it until Mini suggested it to her. However, one lick was enough to stop them both 'testing' it even more!