How to Make Salt Dough Play Food Easy DIY Recipe

Salt dough is a wonderful material for making toys with children. It’s budget-friendly, easy to make, and provides endless opportunities for creativity. With just a four simple ingredients, you and your kids can craft realistic play food, from fresh market vegetables to rustic breads and pastries.

Making and decorating salt dough play food is not only a fun craft project, but it also encourages imaginative play. Your little ones can set up a pretend farmers market, run a bakery, or cook meals in their play kitchen.

Plus, since salt dough is non-toxic and made from pantry staples, it’s a safe and sustainable alternative to plastic play food.

This guide will take you through everything you need to know, from mixing the dough to shaping, baking, and painting your handmade play food.

Here is what you will need for this easy salt dough recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (or plain flour) (300 g)
• 1 ¼ cups salt (300 g)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup water (250 ml)

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
2. Add the oil and gradually pour in the water while stirring.
3. Knead the mixture with your hands until it forms a smooth dough. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water (1 tablespoon at a time). If it’s too sticky, sprinkle in a bit of extra flour.
4. Once the dough is soft but not sticky, it’s ready to shape.

Now, let’s start shaping some delicious-looking play food.

Shaping Your Play Food

You can shape the dough into almost anything, but here are some ideas to get you started:

Fruits & Vegetables

• Apples & Oranges: Roll small balls of dough and gently flatten the tops and bottoms. Press a whole clove into the top to create a stem.
• Bananas: Roll a long, slightly curved shape and use a toothpick to create gentle ridges.
• Strawberries: Shape small teardrops and use a toothpick to poke tiny “seeds” all over the surface.
• Pumpkins: Roll a ball, press lines down the sides with a butter knife or skewer, and add a small dough stem.
• Carrots: Roll a tapered cylinder, add slight grooves with a toothpick, and attach a small sprig of dried herbs or parsley as the carrot top.

Bakery & Pastries

• Loaves of Bread: Form an oval shape, then use a butter knife to make diagonal scoring marks across the top. To make a bread roll, form aq round shape and decorate it with an X.
• Pretzels: Roll out a thin rope of dough and twist it into a pretzel shape.
• Croissants: Roll out a thin triangle and carefully roll it up from the wide end to the point.
• Cookies & Biscuits: Use small cookie cutters or bottle caps to cut out fun shapes.

Other Fun Ideas

• Eggs: Roll small oval shapes to create pretend eggs.
• Fish: Flatten an oval shape, use a toothpick to draw scales, and press in a small indent for the eye.
• Cheese: Cut out triangle wedges or roll small round cheese wheels. Christmas Ornaments: Homemade Salt Dough is also perfect for making easy christmas decorations. Older kids can come up with their own creations, little kids might want to use cookie cutters to make easy salt dough ornaments,

Tip: Use simple household items like toothpicks, forks, or bottle caps to add texture and detail. For example, press a fork lightly on dough to create grill marks on a burger patty!

Baking Tips

Once you’ve shaped all your play food, it’s time to bake them so they harden properly.

Oven Baking Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C / Gas Mark 2).
• Place your shaped dough pieces on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Bake for at least 1 hour at a low heat. The exact cooking time depends on the size and thickness of your pieces.
  • Small, thin pieces: 1 hour
  • Medium pieces: 1.5 to 2 hours
  • Large or thick pieces: Up to 3 hours
• Check every 30 minutes and flip the pieces halfway through for even drying.
• To test if they’re done, tap them gently—they should sound hard and hollow. If they still feel soft, give them more time.

Alternative Drying Method: Air Drying

If you don’t want to use the oven, you can let the pieces air dry. This might not work in a humid climate or on rainy days.

• Place them in a warm, dry area with good air circulation.
• Depending on size, they may take 2 to 5 days to fully dry.
• This method is great for delicate shapes that might crack in the oven.

Once your salt dough food is completely dry and cool, it’s time for the best part – painting and decorating.

Painting and Finishing Touches

Now that your salt dough play food is completely dry and cool, it’s time to bring it to life with colour.

Choosing the Right Paints

• Watercolours: Give a soft, natural look and allow some of the dough texture to show through. Perfect for a subtle, organic appearance.
• Acrylic Paints: Provide bold, vibrant colours and good coverage. Ideal for bright fruits and vegetables.
• Natural Dyes: If you prefer an eco-friendly option, try beet juice (red/pink), turmeric (yellow), or spinach water (green).

Painting Tips for Realistic Play Food

• Layering Colours: Start with a base colour and add layers for depth. For example, paint a banana light yellow first, then add brown streaks for ripeness.
• Blending: Mix different shades to add dimension. A red apple looks more realistic with hints of yellow or orange near the top.
• Texture Effects: Use a sponge for a mottled effect on fruits like pears or peaches. A dry brush can create a rustic, flour-dusted look on bread.
• Detailing: Use a fine brush or toothpick to paint tiny details like seeds on strawberries or sesame seeds on buns.

Sealing for Durability (Optional)

To make your play food more durable, you can seal it with a protective coating:

• Non-toxic Mod Podge or craft sealant: Adds a slight sheen and protects against moisture.
• Homemade sealant (1:1 glue and water mix): A simple, safe alternative.
• Matte or Glossy Finish? Choose a matte look for bread and pastries, and a glossy finish for fruits to mimic their natural shine.

Once your play food is dry and sealed, it’s ready for hours of fun in a play kitchen or market stall.

Play Ideas with Salt Dough Food

Here are a few fun ways to use your handmade creations:

1. Play Kitchen & Restaurant

Let your little ones cook up delicious pretend meals in their play kitchen. They can “bake” bread, make vegetable soup, or serve up a fancy three-course dinner. Add small pots, pans, and plates for a realistic touch.

2. Farmers Market & Grocery Store

Set up a mini farmers market with baskets and pretend money. Kids can take turns being the shopkeeper and the customer, practicing counting and social skills while “buying” fresh produce.

3. Bakery Stand

Arrange your salt dough pretzels, bread, croissants, and pastries in a cute bakery setup. Use a toy cash register or make handwritten price tags to add to the fun.

4. Storytelling & Pretend Play

Incorporate the food into storytelling:

• A baker who creates the most magical bread in town.
• A little mouse searching for the perfect piece of cheese.
• A family getting ready for a holiday feast.

5. Learning and Playing

• Sorting & Counting: Younger children might want to group fruits and vegetables by colour, size or type.
• Food Groups: Sort them into different food groups and create healthy meal plans for your dolls.
• Simple Economics: Add price tags and practice “buying” and “selling” with play money.

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Storage and Longevity

Salt dough play food is sturdy but needs a little care to keep it looking great for a long time.

How to Store Your Play Food

• Keep it Dry: Moisture can cause salt dough to soften or mold over time (don’t ask me how I know..). The best way is to store it in a dry place when not in use.
• Use Airtight Containers: A sealed box or a ziploc bag helps protect it from humidity.

How Long Does Salt Dough Food Last?

With proper storage, salt dough play food can last several months to a year or more. If you sealed the pieces with Mod Podge or varnish, they will last even longer.

Refreshing & Repairing

• If a piece starts to show wear, repaint it or add another coat of sealant.
• For broken pieces, use non-toxic glue to reattach them.
• If a piece gets too soft, you can try re-baking it at a low temperature to dry it out again.

Making salt dough play food is not just a fun craft, it’s a way to encourage creativity, storytelling, and hands-on learning. These handmade toys will inspire hours of imaginative play.

More Easy Crafts with Kids:

• Monthly Mini Gratitude Journals
• Colourful Flower Pots from Recycled Tin Cans
• Story Stones
• Felt Finger Puppets

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