Instead of Candy in Your Valentines...Why Not Make Playdoh?

I confess I'm not always super excited about the bags of candy the boys bring home from school after every little holiday.  Oh, I don't begrudge them the candy, I do want them to live a little, but I sometimes wish there wasn't so much, particularly of the lollipop variety.  We still have Dum Dums sitting around from Halloween - I should throw them out!

A cute alternative, particularly with a small group of kids like a preschool class, might be to make your own playdoh.  It's simple to do, your kids can help, and it's inexpensive.

You'll need:
2 cups flour
2 cups water
1 cup salt
2 tbsp. oil
4 tsp. cream of tartar
Red food coloring

1.  Combine flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan.
2.  Gradually stir in water mixed with oil and food coloring (I used about 1/4 tsp. red)
3.  Cook over low heat stirring constantly until a ball forms.  When it feels like your arm is going to fall off, you are almost there!  It can be a little hard to stir at the end.
4.  Remove from heat.  This is the part where the kids will enjoy helping - have them knead the dough for 5 minutes.  It's smooth and warm - so much fun!
5.  Package in cute containers.  This recipe makes enough for 10 small servings.

 You can find these cute hippo tupperwares at Dollar Tree - 2 for $1.00.  Still too costly?  Try ziploc baggies, and add the child's name to each bag.  Then allow your child to decorate them with heart stickers. 

A fun way to send a Valentine, that will last a lot longer than a lollipop!  Do you have any fun ideas for Valentine's Day this month?

This post linked with Mommy Club Linkup at Milk and Cuddles.