We know, we know, it smells so DELICIOUS we want to eat it too, but no matter how many times we say “nooooo!”, they just can’t help it!
This is one of the reasons we created Dough Animal, using the same ingredients you’d use to bake a cake, just with different quantities, therefore if they can eat cake, they should be able to eat play dough, right? Well not exactly, and we will tell you why in the next section.
So, what is play dough made of?
We can’t vouch for all play dough, and we are definitely not talking about shop bought play-doh, but we are proudly talking about all the dough that we make here at Dough Animal.
While the well known Hasbro Play Doh brand uses ingredients that are proprietary, it has been noted by Wikipedia that the ingredients include water, salt, flour, a retrogradation inhibitor, lubricant, surfactant, preservative, hardener, humectant, fragrance and colour. Phew, that was a mouthful – these are definitely not ingredients you want in your child’s mouth!
Knowing that all things do go into the mouth at this age of exploration and development, we have created a product that is taste-safe. Now that doesn’t mean edible!
We make our play dough with shop bought all purpose flour (allergens: gluten/wheat), shop bought table salt, water, oil (seed/sunflower/canola/olive), cream of tartar, a natural and organic edible preservative, food colouring, and flavour, that’s only 7 ingredients, and we are familiar with them all!
Why is it not edible? We use a high volume of salt as a natural preservative, which is not advisable to ingest, however not harmful should your little one have a nibble. It also means that if they do put the dough in their mouth* they are highly likely to spit it out due to the salty taste.
*Should your little one eat a lot of play dough or be allergic or have a food intolerance to one of the ingredients, contact your emergency department or GP urgently.
Why exploring senses is beneficial for development
Sensory play is crucial for children’s development, as it engages their senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell – in meaningful ways that promote cognitive, emotional, and physical growth. By exploring different textures, colours, sounds, and smells, children enhance their ability to process sensory information, which is essential for brain development. This type of play also supports fine and gross motor skills, language development, and problem-solving abilities. Moreover, sensory activities can be particularly beneficial for children with sensory processing disorders, providing them with opportunities to integrate and respond to sensory input in a controlled environment. Overall, sensory play fosters creativity, curiosity, and a deeper understanding of the world, laying a foundation for lifelong learning.
How to properly and safely store your play dough
We recommend storing your play dough in the container it arrives in, this is to ensure that it is long lasting. Play with it regularly so that it can be kneaded often by little hands. And in a cool, dry spot out of direct sunlight or heaters. We don’t recommend keeping it in the fridge or in any areas that are too cold as this can cause crystallisation. An area too hot can make the pot sweat and cause condensation which could cause mould.
If your little one is prone to eating their play dough, keep out of reach until you’re able to supervise!
So, at the end of the day, if your kid eats play dough, it’s not the end of the world! But make sure you supervise their play, they aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients, and they don’t eat too much! Also, make sure it’s Dough Animal!
Photos are kindly gifted by Dusk Until Dawn
