Three scented Valentine Play Dough recipes that are easy to make with safe kitchen ingredients. A delightful Valentine’s Day sensory activity for kids!
This homemade play dough is a great Valentine craft for kids of all ages — from preschoolers to teens! Includes three scented recipes.
3 Valentine’s Day Play Dough Recipes
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and what better way to celebrate than with yummy scented Valentines playdough? I love having scented play dough recipes to spark creativity and for a fun sensory experience.
Get in the spirit with these 3 easy play dough recipes made from ingredients you might already have in your kitchen!
We’ve created three fabulous festive fragranced recipes for the holiday:
- Chocolate Play Dough
- Flower Bouquet Play Dough
- Cherry Play Dough
These recipes are perfect to use in the classroom or at home. They’ll keep the kiddos entertained for hours!
For your convenience in creating this easy play dough recipe, we’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used; disclosure policy available here.
Chocolate Play Dough
Chocolate and Valentine’s Day go hand in hand together! This rich cocoa scented play dough smells absolutely divine!
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
- brown food coloring (optional, if it doesn’t look chocolatey enough)
Directions: Add all ingredients (except food coloring) to a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
The cocoa powder should make this chocolate playdough a rich brown color without food coloring. However, you can always add a drop or two of brown food coloring if desired.
Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well, then finish kneading by hand until dough is smooth.
Safety Note: Always use a microwave-safe bowl and handle the bowl with care during microwaving, as bowl may become hot. Make sure that the dough is cool enough to safely touch before kneading by hand.
Flower Bouquet Play Dough
What would Valentine’s Day be without flowers? This lavender scented play dough is super relaxing too!
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 2-3 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
- purple food coloring
Directions: Add all ingredients (except food coloring) to a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
Add 2-3 drops of food coloring and stir until the dough is evenly colored. Add more food coloring as needed, a couple drops at a time.
Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Finish kneading by hand.
*Safety Note About Essential Oils: Lavender oil is generally considered safe. I highly recommend purchasing your essential oils from a trusted brand with known quality standards. As with any essential oils, perfumed soaps, lotions, etc. skin sensitivity is possible in some individuals. Always supervise children with essential oils.
Cherry Play Dough
Chocolate covered cherries are one of my favorite Valentine treats! Try mixing cherry with chocolate playdough for that effect!
- 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 (except food coloring) to a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Finish kneading by hand.
TIP: Use a cookie cutter to make hearts out of the playdough, for a Valentine themed play time! You can also make “ice cream” cones with the dough for a sweet shop pretend play.
Add some simple props for an afternoon of fun scooping and serving your ice cream play dough!
- Kids play ice cream scoops
- Plastic ice cream bowls & spoons
- Chocolate syrup
- Ice cream play set by Melissa & Doug
Related: Our edible ice cream play dough made with frosting is perfect for this activity too!
How to Store Homemade Playdough
Homemade play dough can last for a long time, especially if you keep it refrigerated! I store our play dough in either an airtight container or zip-top bag.
To extend the life of your playdough, always wash hands before playing. This helps keep dirt, oil, etc. from contaminating the dough. Always play on a clean surface, such as play dough mats or a plastic tray.
To clean up, simply wipe down surfaces with warm, slightly soapy water. Always wash hands with soap and water after playing.
Safety Note: Always supervise young children when using play dough. May not be suitable for children under age 3.
More Festive Homemade Play Dough Recipes
Valentine’s Playdough Recipes (Printable Version)
Valentines Play Dough (3 Scented Recipes!)
Equipment
- microwave safe bowl
Ingredients
Chocolate Play Dough
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
- brown food coloring optional
Flower Bouquet Play Dough
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 2-3 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
- purple food coloring
Cherry Play Dough
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 package sugar free cherry jello from the small box (0.6oz)
- 2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except food coloring) to a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- If making flower bouquet play dough, mix in food coloring now. For the other types, skip to the next step.
- Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Allow to cool enough to handle safely, then finish kneading by hand.
Video
Notes
Pin our Valentine’s Day Playdough on Pinterest:
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Sarah says
We loved the chocolate scented play dough, but I’m not sure how to make the cherry play dough. Our store only has 3 and 6 ounce boxes of Jello, but your recipe says 0.6 ounce! I could probably measure it out and get close to 0.6 ounces even without a kitchen scale, but I hoped just buying the smallest box would work. Also, does the sugar affect the consistency? I totally forgot to look for sugar free and now I have a goopy mess instead of play dough 🙁
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Sarah, we use sugar free so it is less sticky. The sugar free jello has less powder, which is why the box is 0.6 ounces (instead of 3-6 ounces for regular sugar jello mixes). Hope this helps!