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Teacher Althea  – preschool and summer camp teacher – gets asked about our play dough recipe so often that we’ve decided to share this gem with you all! 

The kids love getting their hands on this stuff, it is super squishy, easy to roll and cut ‘cookies’ out of, and stamp with all manner of imprints. 

Often, it gets used as pretend cupcakes, spaghetti and sausages in our play kitchen.

Children and toddlers can spend many minutes totally immersed in creating with the dough. 

So how to make this superlative stuff?

Here is Teacher Althea’s guide:

I have to thank Teacher Tom for the recipe, and his mom for handing it down to him. The method is one part Tom’s suggestion to stop cooking while it’s sticky, and one part my need for deep sensory experiences combined with impatience! I like to make six- or eight-times this recipe for preschool use. 

I think it gets to be a better consistency if you mix the wet ingredients in after the dry ingredients (saving the scent and color for after it’s off the heat). This started when my daughter wanted to help, and she likes to mix after each ingredient is added. I liked the result better than when I just dumped everything into the pot on the stove.

The key to silky, smooth playdoh is not overcooking it. I achieve that by mixing it with my hands on the stove and removing it when it starts to hurt, but you don’t have to go to such extreme lengths! Just remove it earlier than seems reasonable; it will continue to cook off the heat.

-Althea

Recipe:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon cooking oil (I prefer olive oil)
• food coloring (optional)
• scent (optional, but recommended)

For preschool use, I make 6-8 times this batch

Method:

Mix together dry ingredients in a large pot:

Add in water and cooking oil and stir thoroughly:

Add to heat and stir continuously:

It will start getting lumpy, which is when you should start watching it for done-ness:

I use my hands, and when it gets too hot to touch I know it’s almost done:

When it’s done, it should look pretty well integrated but you should be questioning if it’s actually done. Remember it will continue to cook after it’s removed from heat. It won’t look like playdoh yet and should still be quite lumpy and sticky. It shouldn’t be shiny any more:

Remove it from the pot and lay it on a non-stick pan or parchment paper to cool:

It should still be sticky when pulled apart:

Add in a few drops of kid-safe scent (not very much) and quite a few drops of food coloring (if you use food coloring instead of water-color paint, you can compost playdoh at the end of its use):

Massage to integrate scent and color:

It will surprise you by starting to look like actual playdoh!

Let cool completely before putting it in a sealed container.

You can store it in a plastic bag for many months. It keeps longer in the fridge but should stay good for at least two months at room temperature if sealed.

If you have a very attached toddler or young kiddo with intense separation anxiety, you know. 

As beautiful as that profound attachment is – it can be a real challenge to balance your needs and the needs of your sweet koala kiddo.

Even though it seems totally the cultural and social norm to outsource childcare, these intensely-feeling children don’t always adapt easily to those situations from babyhood.

Drop-offs at daycare or preschool, or with caregivers they aren’t properly bonded with, can become hugely fraught for all involved.

This is where – for us and families in our situation – Woodland Park Co-op has been utterly amazing.

The whole community goes above and beyond to help children settle in and feel comfortable and secure. 

Firstly, and most importantly, you are welcome to stay with your child in class until they are ready to be dropped off.

Secondly, you can explore a wealth of advice and wisdom about settling in children with separation anxiety.

We had several reassuring discussions with our parent educator about what was in the realm of developmentally appropriate in terms of separation from the primary caregiver.

Parent educator: [I paraphrase] “Yes, it’s normal that a two and a half to three year old wouldn’t want to be without the person they feel most safe and secure with, and you’ll see more independence built on the foundations of that dependence from about three.”

We had one chat with one of our preschool teachers about a plan to get our child used to my absences from class and having fun without me. From popping next door to read a book or have a call to going out for errands – until they were happy to go into the preschool classroom without even a backwards glance.

We had a call with our other preschool teacher strategising how to help our kiddo feel at home and secure at the co-op, and our suggestions were considered and incorporated.

Co-op teacher: “Sure, I’ll hang out with him when you’re dropping him off and make sure he’s okay.”

We had several conversations with other co-op members in their second year – or in one of their many co-op years – and received advice.

Co-op member: “Yeah, our kid had trouble with drop offs too at that age. We hung out with them at co-op and managed to drop off before the winter break and then they got really confident and in their stride in the Spring. It worked out great in the end!”

What we learned through this whole journey, is that some kids need more nurturing, more patience and more reassurance – and it’s okay to fulfill those needs. 

It’s okay to adjust your expectations to meet your child where they are at, and we have been lucky and privileged to be able to have the resources to do so.

We’re just so grateful to have found a place and community that supported our child to become more independent and social with compassion and respect and acceptance for who he is. To drop him off at the gate with his ‘okay’ – and without deep distress and tears – has truly been a gift.

8.02am – Wake up and juggle sleepy kiddo snuggles, making snack for the day, having breakfast, toileting and oh, yeah, remember to change out of PJs and into grown-up clothes for the day.

8.17am – Somewhere in the middle of getting ready for the day, remember to check your Slack messages (the preschool day-to-day communications are on an application called Slack) and the schedule to check if you are working; or if you are an emergency substitute, if anybody needs cover for their work day. Any other urgent announcements or discussions will also be on Slack.

9.07am – Mentally run through if you have everything you need before: rainwear if it’s raining, warm layers if it’s chilly, the right footwear and hats, changes of clothes, the bag you so carefully packed for your kiddo. 

And all these things for you if it’s your co-op work day too.

9.25am – Arrive at Woodland Park Co-op Preschool and dress your child in remaining needed layers/rub in suncream/put shoes on that were kicked off in the car.

9.30am (Unless it’s your work day, when you arrive a bit early to help set up) – Go into the mudroom with your kiddo, ensure they deposit their bag in their cubby, and wash their hands.

After that, if MWF preschool with Teacher Althea, go outside and settle your kid in for drop off. If Tu-Th with Teacher Cheryl, you start inside.

Note: If your child has separation anxiety the parent educator and teachers and other co-op members can work with you to make a plan working towards drop-off. Many kids go through ups and downs with this at preschool and it is well understood and accommodated.

If you are working, find your assigned job for the day, whether it is at the art table, workshop bench, sensory play, blocks area or others. 

Basically, you play with the children, remind them of safety considerations and help with conflicts.

In the middle of the class, for Teacher Althea, there is snack/lunch outside and then a transition to play indoors. Kids take their outside clothes off and wash hands. 

For Teacher Cheryl’s class, there is story and song time first, and then getting suited up to have snack and then play outside.

12 midday – Teacher Cheryl’s class ends after ten minutes of story time and the classic “boom, boom see you later” song.

1pm – Teacher Althea’s class ends after clean up indoors and then ten minutes of story time. The day finishes with the “boom, boom” song, the signal that parents and caregivers have arrived to collect children.

You might be considering whether Woodland Park Co-op is the best fit for your child and what they might learn. 

For us parents and caregivers, the community at the co-op is also truly a treasure trove of inspiring characters to learn from – especially if you are trying to learn how to raise your kids in a respectful, gentle and nurturing way. 

So here is a slightly tongue-in-cheek account of some of the ‘types’ of caregivers you might encounter. In reality, we often embody most of these each and every work day:

The Empath

You are most likely to hear them saying: “I’m so sorry that happened”

Their vibe: Heart-centered

You can recognise them by: Whatever the problem, the children gravitate towards this person, knowing that they will come out of the interaction feeling seen, heard and understood.

The Alpha Mommy

You are most likely to hear them saying: “Tell me about it”

Their vibe: Quietly regal

You can recognise them by: Kids who don’t even know this person will come to them for hugs if they are upset.

The Fact Checker 

You are most likely to hear them saying: “That’s developmentally appropriate at their age”

Their vibe: Reassuring

You can recognise them by: This person is most likely your parent educator or a member with experience of loads of toddlers/ young kiddos.

The Roughhouser

You are most likely to hear them saying: “Are you playing?”

Their vibe: Poised

You can recognise them by: They tend to be in the middle of games of chase or roughhousing – also ready to step in and make sure play stays safe.

The Mediator

You are most likely to hear them saying: “I’m noticing you both want to play with this toy, I’m going to hold onto it while we figure out a solution.”

Their vibe: Centered

You can recognise them by: This is a role we all play in the co-op. 

The Creative One 

You are most likely to hear them saying: “Yes, I see your magic wand! What are you going to turn me into?”

Their vibe: Playful

You can recognise them by: Ribbit, ribbit.

The Grounded one

You are most likely to hear them saying: “Yelling over here hurts our ears. If you want to let it out, go to the top of the hill” 

Their vibe: Solid, stable, secure.

You can recognise them by: Literally nothing fazes them.

The Magician

You are most likely to hear them saying: “Saying that to our friends can hurt their feelings, but we can call each other silly names, what’s the silliest one you can come up with? Mine is rutabaga!”

Their vibe: Humourous

You can recognise them by: Turning pain into fun, with light-heartedness.

The Warm One

You are most likely to hear them saying: “Do you want a hug?”

Their vibe: Affectionate

You can recognise them by: They will have two or three kids in their laps at story time or in the reading nook.

The Safety-Conscious One

You are most likely to hear them saying: “Sure you can climb up there, if you can get down by yourself.”

Their vibe: Confident

You can recognise them by: They’ll be the one watching like a hawk

The Connector

You are most likely to hear them saying: “Can you find a friend to help push you on the swing/play that game/water the garden?”

Their vibe: Encouraging

You can recognise them by: They’ll be warm and welcoming to all the kids and caregivers.

Woodland Park Cooperative Preschool (WPC) has many return families who come back year after year, whether they enroll one child or multiple siblings. So what’s the secret sauce, why do families love our co-op so much?

I can’t speak for everyone, but we’re an alumni family returning for a second year at WPC and we adore it. Here are five reasons why:

1. Kids are free to have fun and do messy play. Your child might return home splattered in mud, paint or both – and with a huge smile on their face. On a more serious note, sensory, self-directed messy play supports brain development and also offers emotional self-soothing and resilience. 
   
2. WPC kiddos learn the social-emotional skills we wish someone had taught us as kids. Their emotions are validated and teachers and caregivers are there to help scaffold conflict resolution, boundaries and problem solving. WPC members respect children as whole humans with feelings and needs.
3. Joining the WPC community is a huge opportunity to grow as a nurturing parent or caregiver. There are so many inspiring role models among the teachers and community at co-op. We’re filled with constant admiration for the grounded, playful, fun and heart-centered caregiving we see from other co-op members.
4. We made some of our best friends at WPC. Let’s face it, raising small humans can be a bit, well, lonely at times. We need friends to go on play dates and have adventures with. WPC members can meet up regularly for activities and the school also has legendary camping trips. Some families also carpool and watch each other’s kids for them.
5. You can see the kids growing in confidence in front of your eyes. Part of this is their natural development, but part of it is an environment where they can contribute to tasks such as planting and watering the garden, and helping with setting up and cleanup of daily activities. The pride on the faces of the children that are gaining new skills in the playground speaks for itself – as does the grin of a child who has just uplevelled their ‘risky’ play to climb, slide or swing in ways more thrilling than before.

In short, we love how our child flourished at the co-op and how we also found steadier feet and more joy as parents. It’s not always easy to give children what they need in our low-nurture culture, but WPC feels like a bubble of fun, play and nurture that can support the entire family.