I just had he best time making something for my daughter’s afternoon sensory activity and I had to share a “recipe” with you.

We have a child who is a tad bit sensory sensitive and as a result we try to make sure sensory play is a huge part of our daily lives. We are constantly on the lookout for new and fun things for us to do in the afternoon. We especially love those activities like homemade playdough, etc. that can be made at home because we know as she gets a little older she will not only enjoy playing with the end result, but helping making those things as well.

Today I decided to make homemade “silly putty.” A few weeks ago I had stumbled across recipe on Cooks.com and it seemed so easy that I thought… surely I could handle it and it was indeed super easy so I wanted to share.

HOMEMADE “SILLY PUTTY”

2 parts white glue
1 part Sta Flo liquid starch

Mix well. (see my tips below on what else I suggest)

It needs to dry a bit before it is “workable”. It may be necessary to add a touch more glue or starch. You will have to experiment. It may not work well on a humid day. Store in an airtight container.

Per the recipe on Cooks.com: “Has the same characteristics of commercial “Silly Putty”. Beware of contact with clothes and carpet.”

Tips based on my experience:

Ratios:

When I first mixed this together, the 2:1 ratio was too much starch. I had to add more glue. Then of course I got it too sticky, so I added some more starch. I thought to myself while I was making it… not quite like “silly putty” since it’s a little on the wet side, but it will still make some fun sensory play.

Mixing:

Well, then I decided to start pulling it and stretching it, like you would taffy and that’s what made the difference. The more I pulled and the more I stretched it, the more it became like “silly putty.” After pulling and stretching it and getting some air into the mixture it dried out and started to have that snap like “silly putty.”

End Result:

I would say this is not exactly like “silly putty” in that it’s a little bit softer and more workable, prefect for toddlers. It’s more like “Theraputty” for those of you who have seen or worked with it before.

I could not be happier with the end result of this recipe. I will be the first to admit I had my doubts at first, but it turned out better than I could have imagined!

Where to find the Sta Flo?

Look in the laundry aisle, but not up high with spray starch, look low… it’s a pretty sizable jug. I paid $2.99 for the big jug and only used a smidgen out of it. There will be lots more play putty made from the jug for sure.

Fun things to do besides stretching and the normal play you do with putty?

Hide things like little jewels, etc. in the putty and have your child find them. You can also have them mix them back in as another game.