Strawberry Scented Valentines Day Playdough

Are you looking for a non-candy option for your child’s Valentine’s Day exchange? This year we decided to make some homemade playdough for a homeschool Valentines party. I made simple printable labels that you can grab at the end of this post. This recipe fits 12-13 4 oz containers, so if you need more than that, just double the recipe. I do wish I had some cute ribbon or yarn to tie around each jar. I think that would add an extra touch of festive cuteness! With the amount of food allergies and preferences, I have been weary about gifting any kind of food to kiddos, especially ones we don’t know that well yet. We got invited to a homeschool Valentine’s Day party in our new town, and are so excited to get to know them! Everyone loves playdough, and it is great for almost all ages. This playdough turned out SO good, I just had to share it with you!

Ingredients/Supplies:

• 2 TBS of cream of tartar
• 2 C flour
• 2/4 C salt
• 4 TBS oil (we used canola)
• 2 C water
• 2 boxes of 6 oz strawberry Jello
• Glitter
• Containers with lids
• Large pot
• Whisk
• Parchment paper

To Make:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot.
2. Whisk well
3. Turn the stove on to medium/low heat
4. Continue whisking until it becomes a thick playdough consistency (about 10-12 minutes)
5. Lay a piece of parchment paper down and carefully spread the hot dough out to cool
6. Let sit for 15-20 minutes or until cool enough to touch
7. Sprinkle a generous amount of glitter (We used an iridescent heart glitter from Michael’s)
8. Knead the dough to evenly spread out the glitter and then continue kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. This can take some time ! The more you knead the dough, the better.
9. Roll the dough into 12-13 small balls
10. Add them to your containers and put the lids on
11. Print out your cute labels, cut and glue them to the lid
12. Have your child sign their name on each container

To watch a quick video tutorial of us making this playdough, click here.

The containers we used are from Michael’s Craft Store. They are the plastic 4 oz Mason Jars by Celebrate It and comes as a 10 pack for $5.99. I bought two of these packs because I needed 13 Valentines. We obviously have leftovers, but these little plastic containers are a really great size for other crafts or even for storage. I am sure I will find a use for them!

Print your labels on cardstock, cut out, and glue to each lid. We used super glue so they wouldn’t fall off. You could also punch a hole in the top of the label and thread ribbon or yarn through it and use it as a gift tag. I left the hearts on the label white so kids could color them in. I also left a little space on the left of the label for little notes or doodles. Have your child sign their name in the space, and you’re done!

Click HERE to print the free Valentine’s labels!

I hope you have a beautiful Valentine’s Day holiday where you can share and receive all the love we all deserve. Have a blessed day!