Raising Gracie: Rainy Days

Our Memorial Day weekend was beautiful, up until Memorial Day when it rained for the majority of the
afternoon. Luckily we got to enjoy a picnic breakfast on the beach before the rain. Rainy days can be full of toddler tantrums without the right game plan. On this rainy Memorial Day we decided to make our own playdough and take a trip to IKEA! Making playdough is something I had heard about through a friend and was surprised how easy it was.

Playdough Recipe
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring

Place all ingredients together in a large pot. Stir over low heat until the dough thickens. When the dough pulls away from the sides and clumps in the center, remove from heat. (if dough is too sticky continue to heat)

Allow dough to cool enough to handle then knead dough until it becomes smooth. Now separate into 4 equal balls for coloring. Make a hole in the dough with your finger and place a few drops of food coloring in. I used neon food coloring in pink, purple, green, and blue. Fold the dough over working the color in. I wore gloves to avoid getting dye on my hands, but once the dye is completely mixed in the dough it will not color your skin or furniture.

Now you have playdough, and are ready to have fun with your little one!

McCormick Neon Food Coloring (I think it is more fun than your basic colors)

Gracie enjoying her homemade playdough

We also took our first trip to IKEA on this rainy day to purchase Gracie a table and chair set. This is not a store to shop around in unless you don’t mind coming home with a few more items than you planned on. We came home with our table and chairs along with an easel to foster Gracie’s wonderful artistic talent. Coloring is a favorite activity around our house and this easel was a great addition. Luckily IKEA has reasonable prices and we managed to get out of the store under $100!