DIY Slime and Playdough Using Ingredients You Have on Hand

Need an activity pronto? We tested these 2-ingredient slime and Play-Doh recipes.

We know. You never let it in the house. They bring it home from school because they traded their snack for their friends’ slime and you just can’t wait until they lose interest and you can quietly toss.

But there’s something very magical about slime, Play-Doh, or whatever you want to call it (we suppose it depends on the texture?).

It keeps kids very busy. We mean very. We’re not quite sure what’s so interesting and fun about it, but there is something magical about the mushy stuff.

So now you need an activity. They’re home, and you’re not up to another day trip or a day at the pool. You just need a quiet, busy, fun thing to do. 

There’s lots and lots of recipes for homemade slime or playdough online and we wanted to test out a couple and give you our take. But the versions we wanted to try had to have minimal ingredients (like 2) and use things you might already have on hand. This is an impulse project after all. 

Oh, and very important. No pots. No, no. Just mix and done. 

And your kids will think you’re the most amazing mom ever. (It’s like when you make macaroni.) 

It’s almost magical to watch this come together, and the consistency is even more fun than the traditional store bought kind because it’s very slimy, so even more fun to play with and more sensory. The kids looooooved it. 

The moms? Not as much. It’s a bit messier than play dough, it stains the hands a bit but will come off (food coloring!) and it can potentially stain clothing. But, all in all harmless. If you need an activity and you don’t have play dough at home, this is perfect. 

Put on a plastic tablecloth (or leave it all outdoors) and then scoop it up and toss when they’re done. 

Slimy 2 Ingredient Slime

• 2 cups conditioner 
• 4-5 cups of cornstarch
• Food coloring

• Mix together conditioner and cornstarch until playdough achieves the consistency you like. Add desired food coloring.

The next type of slime we tried out is more of a Play-Doh consistency, and it reminds us of simple fondant. It’s completely edible and just as easy to make as the version above. 

On the plus side, it’s completely edible. It’s also not as sticky. It dries out as it’s handled and exposed to air, but it regains its soft texture with a bit of water. 

Because this does dry out, though, it’s not sticky and is not too hard to sweep/vacuum up when playtime is over. 

Fondant Playdough

• 1 cup whipped frosting
• 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

• Combine frosting and sugar until playdough achieves the consistency you like. Add teensy drops of water if it’s a bit too dry (if you add too much, you can just add more sugar). Add desired food coloring. 

Shape like playdough (or go ahead and taste).

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