Cinnamon Apple No-Cook Play Dough for Kids

Cinnamon apple no-cook play dough mixes flour, salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon with applesauce and oil for a soft, spicy scented dough ready in 10 minutes. You stir the dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the wet ingredients, and knead for 3 minutes until smooth. Store it airtight for about 2 weeks. Ages 3 and up.

What do you need for cinnamon apple play dough?

Important: this dough is NOT taste-safe for babies or toddlers who mouth things. The half cup of salt in the recipe makes it unsafe for mouthing, so this one is for ages 3 and up only, with an adult nearby during play.

Ingredients (makes about 3 cups of dough)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for sticky dough
• 1/2 cup fine salt (table salt)
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Supplies

• large mixing bowl
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• wooden spoon
• rolling pin
• leaf cookie cutters and apple cookie cutters
• plastic knife
• muffin tin
• toy truck or farm animals (for apple orchard pretend play)
• tray with raised edges or a tablecloth
• apron or old shirt
• paper towels
• airtight container or zip-top bag
• marker (to label the bag with the date)

How do you make no-cook play dough?

1. Stir the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon together in the large mixing bowl with the wooden spoon until the color looks even, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour in the applesauce and the vegetable oil.
3. Stir with the wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute.
4. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands for 3 minutes until it feels smooth and soft.
5. If the dough sticks to your fingers, sprinkle on flour 1 tablespoon at a time and knead 30 seconds between additions until it stops sticking.
6. Press the dough into the airtight container or the zip-top bag, label it with the marker, and it is ready to play with right away.

The first batch I mixed turned lumpy because I dumped in all the applesauce at once. Pour it in slowly while you stir, and the dough comes together smooth without the extra kneading.

What can kids make and do with this dough?

Set the tray on the table, put the dough in the middle, and lay out the rolling pin, cookie cutters, and plastic knife around it. These four favorites keep preschoolers busy for a solid half hour.

1. Leaf and apple cutouts. Roll the dough flat with the rolling pin, press the leaf and apple cookie cutters in firmly, and lift the shapes onto the tray.
2. Apple orchard pretend play. Roll small apples from the dough, line them up in rows on the tray, and drive the toy truck down the rows to collect the harvest.
3. Mini apple pies. Press dough into the muffin tin cups with your thumbs, crimp the edges with the plastic knife, and poke a tiny steam hole in the top of each one.
4. Name snakes. Roll long snakes, shape the letters of your name, and read them back out loud.

Pair the orchard play with a real apple taste test using the apple taste test scorecard, or follow the pretend baking with the no-bake apple pie cups your family can actually eat.

What goes wrong and how do you fix it?

• Dough too sticky: a generous cup of applesauce or a humid kitchen is usually the cause. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading 30 seconds between additions, until it stops sticking.
• Dough too dry and crumbly: knead in vegetable oil 1 teaspoon at a time until it softens and holds together.
• Lumps that will not smooth out: the applesauce went in too fast. Keep kneading a full 3 minutes; the lumps almost always work themselves out.
• Dough smells sour or feels slimy after a week or two: it is done. Throw it away and mix a fresh batch. Do not try to save it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this for?

This play dough is for ages 3 and up because the high salt content makes it unsafe for babies or toddlers who mouth things. Preschoolers can knead, roll, and stamp with an adult nearby, and kids 5 and older can help measure and mix with supervision. If you need a sensory activity for a child under 3, the fall sensory bin for toddlers is a better fit since it was built for younger kids.

How messy does it get?

Expect light flour dust on the tray and cinnamon on little fingers, but no sticky residue on furniture if you keep the dough on the tray. An apron or old shirt protects clothes, and paper towels handle hand wipes before kids touch walls or doorknobs. Any dough that dries on the tray lifts off with a damp paper towel in seconds.

How long does it take?

Mixing takes about 10 minutes including the 3 minutes of kneading, so the dough is ready before preschool patience runs out. Most kids play for 20 to 40 minutes, and the dough keeps for about 2 weeks in an airtight container, so one batch covers many play sessions. Label the bag with the marker so you remember when you made it.

Is it safe for young kids?

This dough is not taste-safe. The half cup of salt makes it dangerous for babies and toddlers who mouth objects, so keep it away from children under 3 and wash little hands after play. There is nothing hot in this recipe, so no burn risk, but metal cookie cutters can have sharp edges, so check yours before handing them to preschoolers. Store the bag out of reach between play sessions.

Be safe and have fun!