Create Play Food Using Salt Dough

As we shared before, the kids love playing in their play kitchen especially when we have other kids over to visit. I remember when we first bought the kitchen though I was a little bummed to discover the cost of play food. We've been able to find some good deals over the years on a few pieces, but we've also discovered the fun of making our own.

We made a set a few years ago when Little Brother was still an infant, but it was definitely time to try it again. 

I've been waiting a little bit as Little Brother was definitely someone who liked to put a lot of things in his mouth as a younger toddler. Although the dough itself is non-toxic, to make it colorful we use paint which would not be safe for tummies. (So I would not recommend this activity if you still have little ones who like to put things in their mouths.) Even if left unpainted, the dough would get soggy and sticky when wet. 

The Project

We started with a basic batch of salt dough. Our salt dough is made with 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup cold water. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until mostly combined, then knead until smooth. 

After making the salt dough I set out a tray of clay modeling materials. 

The boys and I got to work making different types of food out of the salt dough. We used our Homemade Menus to get ideas and the different tools to create shapes, lines, textures, and other details. 

As we finished an item we put it onto a cookie tray, which would mean easy baking later on. 

After we had filled the tray we baked the food for about three and a half hours at 250 degrees fahrenheit. As some of the pieces were a little thicker, it took them a little longer than usual salt dough products. I just kept checking for firmness. 

A few days later we painted the salt dough food using craft acrylic paints. Big Brother wanted to use these as he knew it would give us more color options. The last time we made these he made a lot of blue and purple food items. This time he worked really hard to match the right colors to the food. 

Just to make sure they hold up a little longer, I sprayed the food items with a clear, acrylic spray after the paint had dried. 

Once that was dry, we could play with our food. We had a lot of fun thinking of what food items could go together for a meal. 

There was food for breakfast, 

lunch, 

and dinner!

And of course more possibilities too. Even I started playing in the pretend kitchen again! 

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