For our toddler Apple Week, we made this awesome homemade apple play dough and apple play dough invitation.

Homemade Apple Play Dough Recipe:

• Water
• Vegetable Oil <– you can use melted coconut oil but if it’s cold where you are, it will make the play dough a bit tough at the start of playing (will soften with the heat of hands playing)
• Flour
• Salt
• Cream of Tartar <– I buy the big container or from a bulk store as those little jars are so expensive! A bulk container will last us for months of play dough making – and can also be used for soft sugar cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, etc.
• Apple scent
• Red and Green food coloring <– this set of food coloring has lasted me forever and I love that it creates highly saturated colors with just a drop

I like using these sectioned trays for our craft invitations.

Cook everything over medium heat, while stirring, for about five minutes until the dough starts to form a ball in the middle of the pan.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead as soon as you are able (once cool enough to touch). Add extra food colouring, if desired, and add flour as necessary to keep the dough from being too sticky. (TIP: using a coloured powder for the colour is a bit more efficient – like a red Jell-o or Koolaid powder.)

Try to do this when the kids are going to give you five to ten minutes to finish. The dough is pretty forgiving (I’ve even scorched one batch slightly and recovered), but best results come from removing from heat and kneading at the right times.

Check out our quick video for how to make homemade play dough – and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe:

Apple Play Dough Invitation

For a simple apple play dough invitation, I added:

• small sticks
• apple seeds
• small leaves
• crinkle cutters and apple slicer
• laminated “Parts of an Apple” cards

I like using these sectioned trays for our craft invitations.

Not only can children “make their own apples” and in doing so remember the components of the apple (aided by the use of the optional laminated cards), they can also use the crinkle cutters and apple slicers to practice apple cutting.

(Of course, I think actually allowing a child to cut an apple is awesome, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to extend and practice those skills while playing. Plus, cutting play dough is an easier and safer way to involve younger siblings or children with lower muscle tone, and can cut down on waste if your child wants to practice apple cutting but you don’t need any more apples cut up!)

You can alternatively present this homemade apple play dough as an apple pie play dough invitation, or alongside the book 10 Apples On Top by Dr. Suess and use the play dough for a counting activity.

What do you think? How would you use this homemade apple play dough with your kids?

Be sure to check out our other homemade play dough recipes here.