Fun with Kids! Pumpkin Pie Playdough

Autumn is my favorite time of year - the changing colors of the leaves, the cool night air and the beginning of the baking season! My friend Kara posted a wonderful recipe on her blog Living Bread from Heaven for Spiced Pumpkin Bread (it's delicious!) that inspired me to make Pumpkin Pie Playdough with the kids.

The recipe for this playdough is super simple to make. It uses ingredients you probably already have on hand and it makes a soft, fragrant, all natural (and non-toxic) playdough that the kids love to play with. It will keep for quite a while in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 Tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
Stir water, salt, cream of tartar and spices together in a medium-sized saucepan. Kids love helping with this part.

Then place the pan on the stove on medium heat. When the mixture starts to get warm, add the oil. Then add the flour and stir continuously until the dough is no longer sticky and your fingers leave an imprint when you press the dough. This happens pretty quickly, so you want to stir it well.

Take the dough out of the pan and place it on a heat-proof surface. Knead it until it is soft and pliable (be careful, it's hot!) When it has cooled down a bit, the kids can help knead, too.

Now it's ready! This dough is great for making shapes with cookie cutters...

Or rolling with the rolling pin...

Or making a playdough pumpkin pie!