Make your own apple playdough for fall! Enjoy a hands-on sensory activity that smells amazing and keeps kids engaged.
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Apple Scented Playdough
Fall is just around the corner, which means it’s almost apple season! And what better way to celebrate than with an apple-scented playdough recipe that turns ordinary playtime into a fun, hands-on sensory experience? If you’ve never made your own play dough before, you’re in for a treat. This homemade play dough is soft, long-lasting, and made with natural ingredients—unlike many store-bought versions that dry out too quickly. Best of all, you can make it smell just like crisp green apple, warm apple cinnamon, or even spicy apple pie playdough with just a few simple ingredients and essential oils.
This recipe is a great tool for parents, preschool teachers, and anyone who works with young children or special needs children. It’s perfect for fine motor skill development, imaginative play, and pretend play. You can use it in sensory bins, shape it into playdough apples, or incorporate it into lesson plans about apple trees and the parts of an apple. Add cinnamon sticks, pom poms, or pipe cleaners to build stems and leaves for a fun hands-on activity.
The best part? This non-cooked playdough recipe comes together quickly, giving you the perfect dough every time. Use a rolling pin and cookie cutters to create shapes, or let the kids go wild making their own designs on a flat surface.
Store leftovers in a plastic baggie or plastic bags to keep your new batch of playdough fresh for weeks.
Whether you’re making it for apple theme week at school, pairing it with a fun apple science experiments with free worksheets , or just this Apple Popsicle Stick Craft to add to this great sensory experience at home, this recipe is sure to be a fall favorite year after year.
And then when we’re done, we just store it in an airtight container for the next time that we’re going to use it. It’s really as simple as that.
Here’s what you need to make Apple Scented Playdough:
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup of salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons apple-scented oil
- 1 cup boiling water
- red food coloring
How to Make No Cook Playdough
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon.
Combine the oils and food coloring with the boiling water. Stir the oily water into the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Remove the dough and knead until it is no longer sticky.
Will the smell go away on this playdough quickly?
This all really just depends on how much the playdough is played with. The more that your child plays with this simple no-bake playdough, the less smell that it’s eventually going to have. All you’d have to do is add more of the scented oil to take care of that problem without worry.
Just a bit of the scented oil can be added to the already made playdough and just work it around well to incorporate the smell. It might be a bit sticky at first so just adding a little bit at a time might be the best bet.
What is the best way to store playdough?
Playdough is resilient but you need to take care of it as well. The best way to store playdough is to have it in a container with a lid and keep it in a dry area. Some people try to store it in a plastic bag, and while that can be fine, a container with a lid just tends to work better.
You can easily use a leftover container or even an old whipped cream tub and lid for storage. As long as it seals in place, you shouldn’t have any issues or worries.
Fun ways to play with playdough
Playing with playdough presents so many fun options! Using it to create, count, or just build the craziest things is what playdough is all about!
Are you ready to play with this apple scented playdough? Have so much fun creating it!
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Make certain that you check out our Easy Edible Playdough Recipes The Kids Will LOVE, too
Q: How long does it last?
A: Stored in an airtight container, this apple pie playdough recipe can last for several weeks. If it starts to dry out, just knead in a little olive oil or water.
Q: Can I use this for learning activities?
A: Absolutely! This is a great way to practice shapes, letters, and numbers using thin sticks, playdough mats, or hands-on curricula. Little hands will strengthen their fine motor skills while exploring sensory textures.
Q: Do I need any special tools?
A: Nope! A large bowl, a large pot, and basic measuring cups (like 1 cup salt or 1 cup water) are all you need. Optional: fun cookie cutters or shape stamps for added creativity.
Q: Can I use this for children with special needs?
A: Yes! This homemade dough can be a calming, engaging activity for kids of all abilities, including those with Rett Syndrome. It’s a wonderful way to encourage sensory exploration and creativity.
Don’t forget to pin this activity for later or share with your friends!
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