How to Make Jello Playdough
Looking for a fun sensory activity? Try making jello playdough! It smells amazing and it is so smooth. This may be my favorite playdough we have ever made!
Here’s what you need:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 1 package of Jello (sugar-free or regular)
Mix all the ingredients together and cook over low on the stove. Stir frequently. I used a whisk to get rid of the clumps and then cooked for 5-7 minutes, stirring with a spatula. Once the dough starts to gather together into a ball and doesn’t stick to your fingers (see the picture below), then you can take it off the stove.
After it cools for a minute, knead it on a cutting board. That’s all you do! We made 3 colors and stored them in these small Ziploc containers. I liked these little containers because I divided the colors evenly for both boys.
Check out how to make it with the video below.
This is a fun sensory activity and great to make on a day when you need to keep the little ones busy! Play dough is awesome for building strength in hands, which helps with prewriting skills and fine motor skills. Let them squish, roll, cut, and explore the playdough with their little fingers.
My preschooler loves practicing scissor skills with playdough. He uses  preschool scissors, which are easy to use with playdough and are very safe.
I have been teaching them how to roll playdough into a ball and how to make a snake. It’s a work in progress! 🙂
Lastly, we got out our cookie cutters. Troy learned how to use a rolling pin and REALLY enjoyed cutting out his creations.
Have you tried making jello playdough? I highly recommend it!
Jello Playdough
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 1 package Jello This can be sugar-free or regular. You will want the small package of Jello.
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together into a pot.
- Place the pot on the stove on low-medium heat.
- Stir frequently. Once the dough starts to gather together and form a ball, remove it from the heat.
- After it cools for a minute, add some flour to it and knead it.
This stuff is amazing! I just made a few batches for my little guy to try and I’m probably a little more excited about it than I should be! I love that I don’t have to worry about him eating some of it!
Hi there!
Love this idea! I’m in the middle of trying it out right now and I can’t seem to bring it to a place where it doesn’t stick to my fingers! I’ve been cooking for some time now.. any advice?
Sorry, this is probably too late to help! I let mine cook until it did not stick to my fingers. If that doesn’t work, then try kneading in some flour. Hope that helps!
What size Jello did you use? I am assuming the small box.
I used the small box. 🙂
How long does this play dough last?
I have had mine for 5+ months and it is still great. It smells wonderful and has not dried out at all. I keep them in an air-tight container.
The play dough recipe is AWESOME! I didn’t have cream of tartar so I subbed with baking powder and it worked beautifully!
I just tried making the jello play dough today. I can’t believe how easy it was…and it smells great! I used the regular jello though, not the sugar free type…I wonder if it would attract ants… we’ll see! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Shirl L recently posted…Puppet Making
Ooh, I just had my boys played with them and they loved it! I love it too, that the fact it doesn’t leave “flour” residue on the hands unlike some of the play dough recipe… only a hint of oil… can’t emphasise how much I love the sweet scent!
Shirl L recently posted…Puppet Making
Hello, I just have a question about the recipe for play dough, what is tartar cream??
I just made this for the twins I nanny and they love it. What is the life expectancy for it?
So happy to hear this! I tested this out and mine is STILL good from the time I made it for this post! So I guess 3+ months. I kept some in the fridge and it did not hold up well…it was clumpy and was not very moldable. So I suggest keeping it in an air-tight container and it should last! Enjoy! 🙂
I’ve made this for my 2-year-old. It comes out so smooth and the scent was fantastic. (I made orange!) We became busy with family vacation and other things while it was stored in our fridge. After the older kids (9-14) started school, I got it out again. I was amazed that it was still very usable. It remained smooth, didn’t harden and still had scent, though not as strong. (I stored it in an air-tight bag.)
Now to make some other colors. I’m trying blue, green, purple, and red. She’s excited!
I’ve made this playdough and it came out really well mixing the recipe with boiling warer with a spoon, kneading, cooling slightly and then playing with instantly. Saved all the hassle with a saucepan!