rainy day playdough

It has been rainy for a few days at our house so we decided to make some playdough. We made it a few days ago and the girls have played with it everyday since. I split the recipe into two bowls so that each if my girls could choose their own color and mix it up. I have seen two recipes. One uses Alum and the other uses Cream of Tatar. I tried both and I can't tell any difference. If anyone knows I would love to hear why. Here is what we ended up with.

Rainy Day Playdough

Flour 2 1/2 Cups (may have to add a little at the end)
Salt 1 Cup
Cream of Tartar or Alum 1 Tablespoon
Boiling Water 2 Cups
Oil 1 Tablespoon
Food Coloring 5-10 drops (color to your desire)

First mix all the of the first three dry ingredients. Next mix the next three in a seperate bowl. I found the adding the color to the liquid helps it the blend a little better. Combine the two mixtures and stir until it forms a stiff dough. I then just kneaded in any extra flour to make a good dough that was not sticky. Play, roll, and squish! Store in a plastic bag or container. I found that sometimes when it sits in the bag it may be sticky when you get it out next. I just kneaded in a little more flour.

*Your little ones may try a taste but at least you know what is in it (nothing to harmful in small quantities).