This homemade playdough recipe is actually really quite simple! If you don’t have the time or room to make your own playdough on the stove, just add all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it do all the work for you!

My kid loves playdough. She loves it so much that she’s constantly asking for me to make it for her!

Most of the time, when she asks me to make it, I’m right in the middle of making dinner as well so the stove and space is usually very limited.

But, that’s why this homemade playdough recipe in the crockpot is perfect! I can add in all 5 (yes, I’m serious-5!) of the ingredients to my slow cooker, stir it up a bit here and there and keep using our kitchen for making up our meals!

Trust me on this one…this playdough is actually really simple to make and it ends up being super soft and smooth.

Plus, who doesn’t want to have fun with food coloring and come up with their own color combos?

Video: How to Make Playdough in a Slow Cooker

I have gotten quite a few questions about how to make playdough in a slow cooker, so I did a Facebook live video showing you exactly how to do it in real time! Take a look:

Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Playdough

Before I share my colorful homemade playdough recipe, here are a few questions I have gotten from our readers that I wanted to share:

How Long Does Homemade Playdough Last?

You can store homemade playdough up to 3 months before you have to throw it away and make. a new batch! Keep on reading to find out what are the best ways to store the playdough.

Why Is My Playdough Sticky?

Your dough might feel a little sticky because it has a little too much water or oil. Add a bit more of the flour and continue to knead the dough until it’s no longer sticky!

Can You Freeze Colored Playdough?

I don’t recommend placing your homemade dough in the freezer because the cold from the freezer will actually dry up the dough even faster and it won’t last as long.

Can You Bake Homemade Playdough?

Yes! After the kids are all done playing and have made some awesome designs, you can stick them in the oven to bake and harden to use them as home decor, a gift, or keep as a keepsake.

Is Homemade Playdough Safe?

Yes, it is! But, like everything, make sure to keep an eye on your kiddos to make sure they are having a great time and not sneaking any bites 😉

Slow Cooker Homemade Playdough

Time to get coloring! Here are the ingredients you will need to make this kid-friendly playdough at home!

Flour
Salt
Cream of tartar
Water
Oil (I used vegetable oil)
Food coloring of your choice (you can do more- just depends on how you want your color to be)

How To Make Homemade Playdough In The Slow Cooker

Don’t put all ingredients into the slow cooker to start off with! Turn the slow cooker on HIGH and allow it to preheat for at least 15 – 20 minutes.

Once the crock-pot is heated, then you can add all ingredients (except food coloring) into the pot and stir well until ingredients are combined.

Stir the ingredients every couple of minutes until the playdough base has thickened. Once the thickening process has started, continue to stir until playdough has formed.

Please note: This will happen very fast!

Remove the playdough from the slow cooker and divide it into 4 equal parts.

This is very hot so make sure to let it cool down a bit before continuing.

adding food coloring to homemade playdough

How To Add Food Coloring To Playdough Recipe

For the coloring, I used 4 drops of food color for a light pastel color. I would slowly add in extra food color a few drops at a time until you achieve the color that you are wanting!

Once it’s all done, let the kids have fun playing with your slow cooker playdough!

colored homemade playdough made in slow cooker

Cooking Tips

You can make a double batch. I would recommend making a whole separate batch in the slow cooker while the kids are playing with the playdough. That way it will come out perfectly every time!

rolled up homemade playdough with blue, pink, purple and yellow colors

How To Store Homemade Playdough

There are a couple of different ways to store to safely store the playdough so you can reuse it again…

Wrap every colored section of playdough in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container.
Place all of your playdough into a ziplock bag and push all the air out before sealing.