3 Ingredient Rainbow Dough

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One of our favorite sensory items of all time is something you probably already have in your home (and don’t worry if you don’t, it costs under a dollar!) Cornstarch has so many uses. Not only is it non-toxic, and a common household product, but it’s super budget friendly, and actually very easy to clean up. Plus, there’s something very special about cornstarch when slurried together with water that both children and adults find endlessly fascinating and fun.

Cornstarch mixed with water is a non-newtonian liquid: a term for fluids that change viscosity (how easily they flow) under stress/pushing/pressure. A pressing force helps the slurry flow, as the particles prefer a layer of fluid between then. But when squeezed together, friction takes over and the particles move like a solid.

What You Need:

1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup baking soda
3/4 cup water.
optional: 2-3 drops of essential oils are fun to add in
optional: 4-5 drops of food coloring

1. In a COOL, small to medium sized saucepan, add the cornstarch, baking soda, water and stir very well.

2. Then, turn the heat onto low/medium.

3. Mix cornstarch for a few minutes until the mixture begins to bubble, with a very immediate and quick change to a solid. Once a solid mass starts to form (this should take about 4-5 minutes) remove your pan from the heat.

4. Transfer the dough onto a non stick surface (parchment paper or a baking sheet work well)

5. After allowing the dough to completely cool, you can add 1-2 drops of essential oil or spices for a sensory smelling exploration, or 1-2 drops of food coloring to create rainbow dough (we make several batches and separate them to create different colors.

Enjoy, create, and learn! We suggest exploring with cookie cutters, and natural materials like twigs, stones, and leaves. Encourage open ended building and forming (meaning we aren’t striving for an end result, and the process being the most important part)