I know there are several of you with children who are gluten sensitive - or who are gluten sensitive yourself - so I thought it would be a great idea to develop an Edible Gluten-Free Playdough.  The thing I love about it is that it is a super easy no cook edible recipe that produces a great playdough - so even if the presence of gluten isn't a problem for you or your baby or toddler - you may still enjoy the ease of this recipe!  And it produces a super fun safe and edible dough that easily takes on color to create vibrant colors.  It took me no fewer than six tries to get this recipe just right, so I hope you all love it!

First off we smooshed our rainbow dough balls flat.  The playdough is nice and soft and pliable just like our go-to cooked (gluten containing) playdough.  The kids really liked squishing the dough.

And poking it!

 Little X is still discovering ways to play with playdough (you can read my post on Introducing Babies and Toddlers to Playdough here), and today he invented a silly game where he held a ball of dough over his head and broke pieces off one at a time and dropped them into his lap.  This was apparently SUPER hilarious since he giggled nonstop the whole time.  :)

Meanwhile S, ever the baker, was busy at work creating "cookies".  She took several dough balls, smooshed them up and then rolled them flat.  Using a cookie cutter she made two star cookies and here she's using the handle of the roller to make faces on each.

Rolling her happy faced star cookies just a liiiiitle flatter to make them just right.

After making the star cookies, she wanted to try punching cookies out with a cup.  She used our rice cooker cup to make several vibrant multi-colored puffy "cookies".

And like any great playdough, our Edible Gluten-Free Playdough works fabulously with a playdough extruders (seriously - that is what they are called.  Totally weird, right?).

To make your own, you will need:

Baby rice cereal (we used this kind)

Vegetable Oil

Cornstarch (or gluten-free cornflour if you are in the UK or Australia)

Unsweetened Applesauce (you can substitute water if you don't have applesauce)

Food coloring (optional)

In a bowl combine 1 cup of Baby Rice Cereal and 1 cup of Cornstarch.  Mix well.  Add 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (for reference those little lunch sized applesauces happen to be 4 oz = 1/2 cup) and 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil and any food coloring (if desired).  Mix well.  I find that kneading by hand is pretty effective, though you could also use a Kitchenaid.  The dough should be kneaded (or mixed) until it is smooth and pliable.  If it is at all sticky, slowly add more Baby Rice Cereal taking care to knead it completely in before deciding you need more.  If the dough is dry and cracking, run your hands under the faucet and knead the dough with your now wet hands.  The amount of dough you see here is double the above recipe.  :)

The dough will keep for several days in the refrigerator.  Store in a sealed container or bag and please check for mold or a yucky smell before using it each time (how long it takes to spoil will depend on how clean your kiddos hands are and how warm it is where you live, etc, etc). You will find that the dough is stiffer when it first comes out of the refrigerator - if you knead it to warm it up, it will soon be back to its normal pliable self!  If necessary - wet your hands with some water and knead that in.

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children.  As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family.  I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision.  Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies).  Observe caution and safety at all times.  The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.