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How To Make Non-Toxic Cloud Dough

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Looking for an easy non-toxic cloud dough the kids will love? Learn how to make non-toxic cloud dough with minimal ingredients you already have at home.

This DIY cloud dough is really fun to play with and even easier to make. My kids have had fun with this stuff for hours this week.

This is a great sensory play activity, the fact that it uses all non-toxic ingredients makes it even better. So head to the kitchen and make a batch, and see who enjoys it more-you or your little ones.

A white table has the ingredients for a cloud dough recipe sitting on it. Cornstarch, lotion, food dye, a mixing bowl and measuring cup will be used.

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DIY Cloud Dough Video

Ingredients

YIELDS ROUGHLY 2 CUPS OF CLOUD DOUGH

If you’d like to print the recipe and instructions for later, scroll to the bottom of this post and you’ll see a printable recipe card.

  • corn starch (brand doesn’t matter).
  • lotion (any brand or scent will do).
  • Food coloring (optional). Around 10-15 drops depending on how bright you want the color to be.

Tools

Large mixing bowl

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How To Make Cloud Dough

Step 1

Measure out 2 cups of cornstarch and put into a mixing bowl.

2 cups of white cornstarch powder added to a stainless steel mixing bowl for a cloud dough recipe.

Step 2

Next, measure out 1 cup of lotion and add that to the mixing bowl.

A womans hands holding a bottle of nourishing lotion that will use to make a non-toxic cloud dough recipe.
Adding hand lotion to the cloud dough recipe. A woman is holding the metal measuring cup and using a spatula to scrape out the cup into the bowl below.

Step 3

Stir mixture together with a spatula, your hands or in a stand mixer. Mix until dough begins to form and resembles a crumbly pie dough.

Cloud dough recipe being mixed together in a stainless steel lined white bowl.

Step 4

Begin mixing dough by hand to fully incorporate. You’ll continue to mix together until the dough forms and no longer sticks to your hands. If the mixture is too sticky, add small amounts of cornstarch until dough no longer sticks.

It’s best to add 1-2 tablespoons at a time. If dough is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of lotion until consistency you desire is achieved. I have found the 2:1 ratio pretty accurate. However, some lotions just seem to mix differently than others.

Two hands mixing a bowl of DIY cloud dough in a silver lined bowl.

Step 5

Continue to work your dough by hand until it no longer sticks to the palm of your hands when kneading it.

a womans hands holding a round ball of homemade cloud dough. The ball of dough is being held over a silver lined bowl on a white table.

Step 6

Divide dough into smaller sections and add food coloring (optional). Add until desired color achieved. 10-15 drops depending on how dense you want the color to be.

a womans hands are holding a small bottle of red food dye. She is squeezing the red dye into the cloud dough recipe she just made.

Step 7

Once your food coloring is mixed in, your cloud dough is ready for play!

Substitutions

So to make this second version of could dough, all you need to do is substitute the lotion for hair conditioner.

I actually prefer this cloud dough because it has more of a play dough like consistency. Both are fun to play with and its good to make it both ways to see what your little ones prefer.

What version of this cloud dough did you prefer to use? Did your kids have a preference? Let me know in the comments down below.

Pinterest

A pinterest graphic for DIY Non-toxic cloud dough recipe.

Printable recipe card

DIY Cloud Dough | How to make cloud dough at home | 2 ingredient recipe

Simple, non-toxic cloud dough recipe uses ingredients you already have at home. Hours of fun for your little ones. Great for sensory play.

Course DIY Crafts
Keyword DIY Cloud Dough Recipe, DIY Crafts, How to make cloud dough, Montessori, Sensory Activity
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 cups of dough
Author Brie from Homemade on our Homestead

Instructions

  1. 1. Add (2) cups of cornstarch to mixing bowl.

    2. Add (1) cup of lotion to the bowl.

    3. Blend with spatula, stand mixer or your hands until it resembles a crumbly pie dough.

    4. Begin blending dough with your hands (if you werent doing so already). Keep kneading until dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to your hands.

    5. Divide dough into sections and add food coloring until desired color achieved for each piece. I found 10-15 drops gave me light, pastel colors.

    6. PLAYTIME. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  1. I did find that different lotions/conditioners combine differently. So you may need to play with proportions. I found that 2:1 ratio was pretty accurate for most lotion/conditioner brands.
  2. If your dough is to dry, add more lotion or conditioner to mixture 1 Tablespoon at a time.
  3. If your dough is too sticky, add more cornstarch 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired texture achieved. 

I hope you and your kids enjoyed making this DIY Cloud Dough recipe. Enjoy!

Brie with homemade on our homestead

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