Rainy day fun: Salt dough, peanut butter playdough

It’s rained all week, and though the weather forecast promises this will stop some day, I’m not buying it. I think we’re going to have to build a big boat.

Or at least shape one out of salt dough or peanut butter playdough.

So here’s a great recipe for Peanut Butter Playdough:

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup dried milk
up to 1/4 cup honey

Mix it all together and make shapes out of it. Store it in a container in the fridge. If your kids remember to wash their hands before they start playing, you can also eat it! The kids will eat it, regardless…

We turned our playdough into snacks. Here’s how:

1/2 cup peanut butter (or another nut butter of your choice)
1/4 cup dried milk
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 cup plus 2 tbs granola cereal
up to 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate or honey

Put everything in a big bowl and mix it up, roll into one inch balls, and refrigerate.

If you’re out of playdough, don’t worry. You can make a dough out of salt and flour that’s fun to shape into figures, cut into shapes, whatever you want to do. When I was a kid, my mom used to make Christmas ornaments out of this dough — little happy people, angels, and the like. They last for a long while if you store them in a dry place.

Salt Dough:

4 cups flour
1 cup table salt
1 1/2 cups water (warm or hot)
2 tbs. vegetable oil (optional)

Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl, and then gradually add water, stirring and kneading the mixture until it becomes elastic, then add the oil if you’re using it. Adjust flour and water until the consistency is easy to work with.

You can add food coloring to the doughs. To save your pieces, bake in an oven at 200 degrees until hard. These can then be painted with acrylic paints and sealed.