4th of July Playdough
Celebrate the 4th of July with patriotic playdough! Three festive scented recipes to make red, white, and blue playdough from simple kitchen ingredients. Taste-safe!
Red White & Blue Playdough
If you’re looking for a fun sensory play activity to do with your kids this Fourth of July, why not try making some homemade playdough? Patriotic play dough is a great way to celebrate the holiday and to have so much fun at the same time!
Making playdough is a favorite seasonal activity of mine and the kids because we can create unique recipes with festive colors and even scented playdough! For this 4th of July playdough, I drew inspiration from the colors of the American flag: red, white, and blue. I used my go-to microwave playdough recipe as the base – no stovetop needed and ready in 2 minutes!
Why Playdough?
- A fun way for kids of different ages to spend time together. Both younger kids and older kids will have a wonderful time making shapes and smelling each batch of colorful scented dough! I don’t think you’re ever too old to enough playdough – even I love to join in the fun!
- Playdough helps build fine motor skills and is a fantastic way for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners to strengthen muscles that will help them with other activities, such as writing.
- Making playdough is a fun summer activity for days when it’s too hot to play outside (like today in Texas…it’s 100 degrees already!)
Ingredients and Instructions
I’ve also included a printable version of these recipes at the bottom of the post.
Helpful Playdough Supplies:
I’ve created a separate ingredient list for each color of playdough below:
Red Play Dough Recipe
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 packet sugar free cherry jello (from the small box)
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir.
- When the dough is cool enough to handle, finish kneading by hand.
Safety Note: Adults should supervise microwaving or do this step for little kids. Handle bowl and playdough with care, as they may be hot.
White Play Dough Recipe
This soft and stretchy white dough is based on our edible marshmallow slime recipe. It’s a little bit stickier than the jello playdoughs, so you can always add more cornstarch if needed.
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
- 3/4 cup cornstarch (plus more as needed)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
- Add marshmallow fluff, powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup cornstarch to mixing bowl. Stir together until flour and sugar mix into marshmallow.
- Add remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch little by little, and finish kneading by hand.
- If slime is still too sticky to play with, continue to work in cornstarch 1 teaspoon at a time.
Blue Play Dough Recipe
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 packet sugar free blue raspberry jello (from the small box)
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir.
- When the dough is cool enough to handle, finish kneading by hand.
Prep Tips
- The white playdough is based on our marshmallow slime recipe, so it may be stretchier and a little stickier than the red and blue jello-based play doughs. Adding more cornstarch can help give the white batch a softer, less stickier, playdough consistency.
- I recommend using sugar free jello, as noted in the ingredient lists, for the red and blue playdough batch. While you can use regular jello, real sugar gets stickier.
- To help prevent playdough from sticking to hands, try rubbing coconut oil (or another type of cooking oil) on hands before playing.
- Compliment your playdough activities with star cookie cutters, a festive Fourth of July playdough mat or washable placemat, or festive decorations like miniature flags.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Reuse Homemade Playdough?
Yes, homemade playdough can be stored in an airtight container and reused. The salt in the recipe acts as a preservative, which helps extend the playdough’s shelf life. The marshmallow dough is a little bit different and may harden more quickly. I find that microwaving the marshmallow playdough helps to soften it for another round of play.
If you plan to reuse playdough, always wash little hands before touching the dough. This helps prevent dirt and germs that are on the skin from getting into the playdough.
With any homemade playdough or slime, you always want to check for signs of mold before reusing. If anything looks or smells off, toss it and make a new batch!
Is This Playdough Edible?
Technically yes, this playdough is edible and made with all food ingredients. However, it’s not intended to be consumed as a snack or food item. It’s simply meant to be a taste-safe alternative to playdough and slime that’s made with harsh chemicals. And it’s fun!
Always supervise kids when playing with playdough or slime.
Will Homemade Playdough Stain Hands?
Once all of the ingredients are completely mixed, this homemade playdough recipe is generally colorfast. However, there are ways to further prevent staining:
- Wash hands immediately after handling playdough.
- Play on top of playdough mats or trays to protect surfaces.
- Wear plastic gloves when playing.
- Coat hands with coconut oil or another type of cooking oil before playing (this will also help keep playdough from sticking to hands).
4th of July Playdough Recipes (Printable Instructions)
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4th of July Playdough - 3 scented recipes!
Equipment
- Microwave safe bowls
Ingredients
Red Playdough
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 box sugar free cherry jello from the small box
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
White Playdough
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
- 3/4 cup cornstarch plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Blue Playdough
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 box sugar free blue raspberry jello small box
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Red Playdough Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. When the dough is cool enough to handle, finish kneading by hand.
White Playdough Instructions
- Add marshmallow fluff, powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup cornstarch to mixing bowl. Stir together until flour and sugar mix into marshmallow.
- Add remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch little by little and finish kneading by hand. (If slime is still too sticky to play with, continue to work in cornstarch 1 teaspoon at a time).
Blue Playdough Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. When the dough is cool enough to handle, finish kneading by hand.
Video
Notes
Pin our Fourth of July Playdough on Pinterest:
You might also like these fun 4th of July activities:
4th of July Skittles Color Science Activity
- Iced Matcha Lemonade (Starbucks Copycat) - July 14, 2025
- Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe - June 30, 2025
- Red White & Blue Layered Cocktail - June 27, 2025
