Make Your Own
ByMerissa
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You only need 2 ingredients (and no cooking!) to make this fun Snow Dough Recipe. Your kids will love this easy sensory activity!
Table of Contents
Homemade Snow Dough
I always feel like once Christmas is over, winter is going to last forever. And in South Dakota, sometimes that can seem true. Getting to January is only the middle of winter, not indicating spring is coming. January is typically our month with the coldest days. Plus, believe it or not, March is typically our snowiest month, although we’ve had large snowstorms snow late into May as well.
But January and into February, it seems like the months get really long. We can’t start any of our gardening things yet, not even indoors, and the kids are absolutely going stir-crazy. Playing outside in the snow is wonderful but not when it’s 30 below zero.
So it’s during the winter that we come up with fun but frugal things to do. Sure, we could spend a nice sum of money and get indoor passes to something that may keep the kids entertained. But that type of entertainment is expensive, a long drive to get to, and gets old after a while.
This winter, we’ve been making up some of this Homemade Snow Dough whenever we have a chance. You only need 2 things to make it, both of which you can easily pick up at the dollar store.
This cloud dough lasts for at least a week or two when stored in an air-tight container after use. And it’s not awful to clean up since it’s not sticky like playdough.
Tip: Looking for regular playdough? Here are some fun Homemade Playdough Recipes.
Ingredients in Homemade Snow Dough Recipe
- 1 cup Starch (corn or potato)
- 1 cup Lotion or Bodywash or Hair Conditioner
- Snow Glitter (optional)
How to Make Snow Dough
Here’s all you need. I used potato starch for my dough because that’s what I keep on hand, but if you have cornstarch, it will work the same. I also used body wash for mine because that’s what I found for an unscented option when I went to the dollar store.
If your children do ok with scents, you might be able to use something different. Lotion, body wash, or conditioner should all work in this recipe. Whatever you choose, there is no need to pay more than a dollar for it!
Tip: Check out this list of Homesteading Supplies You Can Get at the Dollar Store
Combine the corn starch and the liquid of your choice in a large bowl and mix until the mixture is not crumbly but is not sticky. You may have to add a bit more starch or vice-versa, depending on the consistencyof your liquid.
Once it’s finished, it should somewhat be the consistencyof a dry slime…if that makes any sense! You can add glitter at any point if you wish to have glittery snow dough. Some Peppermint Essential Oil for a cooling sensation like “frozen snow dough” might be fun, too.
This dough isn’t a smooth sticky texture like playdough so if you are concerned about getting it on your surface, give it to your children to play with on a tray or in a large bin.
This fun Snow Dough Recipe can be played with and then stored in an air-tight container or in plastic wrap for later play.
If it dries out a little bit, just add in a small amount of lotion/shampoo/etc, to get it back to the dough consistency.
Extras for Snow Dough Play
Your children can just play with this dough without anything else, but for even more fun sensory activity play, you can give them a few “accessories” like those below.
- Pipe Cleaners
- Googly Eyes (to make a snowman)
- Silver Glitter
- Snowflake Cookie Cutters
Snow Dough Recipe
How to make a 2 ingredient playdough that feels like snow for your kids.
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Creator Merissa
Ingredients
- 1cupStarchcorn or potato
- 1cupLotion/Bodywash/Conditioner
- Snow Glitteroptional
Instructions
Combine the starch and the liquid of your choice in a bowl and mix until the mixture is not crumbly but is not sticky. You may have to add a bit more starch or vice-versa, depending on the consistencyof your liquid.
Once it's finished, it should somewhat be the consistencyof a dry slime…if that makes any sense! You can add glitter at any point if you wish. Some Peppermint Essential Oil for a cooling sensation might be fun, too.
Recipe Notes
This fun Snow Dough Recipe can be played with and then stored in an air-tight container for later play. If it dries out a little bit, just add in a small amount of lotion/shampoo/etc, to get it back to the dough consistency.
More Kids Activities
- Frugal Preschool Busy Bags
- No Nut Oatmeal Bites Recipe for Kids (Plus Free Printable!)
- Our Kids Favorite Board and Card Games for Young Children
- How to Make Yarn Dolls: Simple Homemade Toys
- My Favorite Long Lasting Toys For Boys and Girls
- Easy Homemade Play dough Recipes
- How to Make Chalk Paint
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Do you have any little ones in your home that will enjoy the Snow Dough?
Merissa Alink
Merissa has been blogging about andliving the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from theContact Page.
This Homemade Snow Dough Recipe was originally published on Little House Living in January 2018. It has been updated as of January 2024.
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