Forest Putty

by Tinkergarten

At Tinkergarten, one of our favorite tools for learning and exploration is “forest putty.” What is forest putty you ask? Play dough you can (and do!) take outdoors!

Find easy recipes for forest putty below, or start with some store bought play dough, and play!

How Kids Play with Forest Putty

Forest putty, just like the play dough you know and love, is a perfect material for making, discovering and even building. As teachers, we often include forest putty within the play environment, allowing explorers (i.e. kids) to identify just when and how to use it to boost their play.

To follow are some of the many ways forest putty can be woven into playful learning:

•  Offer forest putty as a building material. Kids can stick all kinds of things into the putty. Or they can use putty to bind objects like sticks and rocks together.

•  Use forest putty to make prints or even mimic animal tracks using nature treasures like sticks, tree fruits or rocks. 

•  Make and gather impressions of tree bark or other textured objects in nature.

•  Make models of “tiny friends” like insects, reptiles and other critters by starting with forest putty and adding nature treasures in just the right places.

•  Offer forest putty as a less overwhelming alternative to mud in the mud kitchen or on muddy play days.

How to Make Your Own Putty

The Tinkergarten "forest putty" recipe is a simple playdough that can be made with common kitchen staples. Nature items like dirt, leaves, or flower petals are added to give it a "forest" feel and scent. You can also add kitchen spices or herbs (dried or fresh) to boost the sensory impact.

Recipes

Homemade Play Dough Recipe
Makes enough for 6 baseball-sized balls.

Ingredients:

•  2 cups flour

•  1 cup salt

•  4 tsp cream of tartar

•  4 tablespoons oil

•  2 cups cold water

•  Coloring ingredient (e.g. turmeric powder mixed with a tiny bit of water).

•  Scented ingredient (e.g. cinnamon, splash of vanilla extract, lemon juice, essential oil or other spice)

Directions:

1.  Mix dry ingredients add wet ingredients well.

2.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the dough holds together and is slightly more clear in color.

3.  Knead a few times, then let it cool.

4.  Once cool, pack in a ziploc bag or airtight container. Store in the refrigerator between uses.

Tips from Tinkergarten Leaders:

•  Double the recipe for 10 people 

•  Once the mix is cooking in the pan, keep stirring, and use a wooden spoon. It is very wet, and you will feel like it's failing. Keep stirring. You 'll see it start to stick to the spoon...Keep stirring until it starts to stick to itself and take on a ball-ish form.

•  Let the dough cool for a while and start kneading. Put on rubber gloves at this point because it is very hot

•  I've used herbs and spices for scent more than coloring, although turmeric would work and beet juice always lends strong color.

•  Add sprigs of rosemary and other dried herbs you have in your cabinet...looks really pretty, smells great,and the tannish color of the flour matches well, so you notice the color of the leaves.

•  Adding coloring or herbs when it's cooling keeps colors and scents stronger rather than while it's in the pot.

•  Use natural coloring if you can. Food coloring is okay, but often looks pretty unnatural.

•  Write a note to accompany the play dough that reads something like, “Dear explorers, enjoy using this Forest Putty to play and make things. Your friends, the Forest Fairies.”

Alternative Gluten Free Play Dough Recipe

NOTE: The recipe works with gluten free all purpose flour. 

Ingredients:

•  ½ cup rice flour

•  ½ cup salt

•  1 tsp cooking oil

•  2 tsp cream of tartar

•  ½ cup cornstarch

•  1 cup water (colored if desired)

Directions:

1.  Mix cornstarch and water.

2.  Mix all other dry ingredients.

3.  Add oil to wet ingredients.

4.  Mix together well and cook over low heat stirring for about 3 minutes until if forms a ball.

5.  Knead and let cool.

This article was originally published as a DIY activity on the Tinkergarten website.