Dandelions are a perfect flower for kids to explore. These sunny looking wildflowers grow abundantly in the spring – and kids are allowed to pick them!
They also serve as food for birds (namely goldfinches and house sparrows) and bees, they’re good for soil health, and they’re a nutritious edible plant with promising medicinal uses.
Dandelion Playdough
Lately my littles have had a bit of a tough time at school. I thought it would be nice to set out a welcoming playdough invitation-to-play inspired by their favourite spring wildflower. It's a fun activity that helps them relax and work out their stress at the end of the week. To further uplift their mood I added a few drops of essential oils in refreshing citrus scents (a blend of bergamot, orange, lime, grapefruit and lemon).
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups of water
- 2 tbsp cream of tartar
- 2 tbsp cooking oil, such as canola oil
- yellow food colouring
Directions
- Mix all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan.
- Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly for about 4-5 minutes. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and should no longer be sticky to the touch. (If it’s still sticky cook a little longer until it’s not.)
- Remove the dough from the pot and allow to cool slightly. Knead until it’s uniform.
- Set out dough with a bunch of fresh dandelions and a variety of textures and tools that invites the children to manipulate and explore the theme in any way they choose.
Store dough in an air-tight container.
