Do you know what salt or dough pasta is? Said like this, it may not come to mind, but if we tell you that it is an idea similar to plasticine but made at home, surely everything changes. It is a perfect way for the little ones' games to be complete. Who has not grown up making different figures with it? Well, it's time to do it at home!
Salt paste is easy to prepare and very cheap.. Molding it you are going to spend very fun and entertaining times with your children, it is only a matter of adding a pinch of imagination. In addition, while the little ones in the house play with her, they develop her creativity and fantasy, learn to concentrate and stimulate her fine motor skills and coordination. What more could you want?
How to prepare salt paste in a homemade way
Children will be happy to participate in the preparation of the dough. In addition to using it to create their crafts they will have a fun sensory experience. We only need to choose a cup or glass that we will use as a measurer. Now you need a cup of salt, and another of water but two of flour. Mix the flour with the salt and add the water little by little until you get a homogeneous dough that does not stick to your hands.
It is true that the first preparation may not turn out as you want, since sometimes it is a matter of testing. For a more flexible paste you should add about 3 small teaspoons of oil. (Serve whatever you have in the kitchen). Remember that if the dough sticks to your hands, just with a little flour, it will come out quickly and without much problem.
Surprise your children with salt dough in full color and with aromas
To make it more colorful you can add to the water a little food coloring or tempera painting. And that's it! We have a soft and pleasant dough ready to mold. Your children will be able to experiment, manipulate and mold different shapes or figures. You will surely be amazed by the creative potential of your little ones But that's not all, because in order to continue stimulating your senses, what about smell? Yes, in addition to the colors of the paste you can also add scents. A touch of cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla essence can be perfect. But yes, if you have added tempera paint, remember that they should not put it in their mouths.
When playing with it, you can use rollers, cookie cutters, colored threads, wooden utensils, spoons, chopsticks, etc. So that in this way they can do, undo and transform as much as they want. Another option is to prepare containers with natural elements (stones of different sizes, leaves, shells, etc.) so that they decorate their creations to their liking.
How to store salt paste
So that the dough does not dry out and to be able to continue playing another day You just have to keep it in a tupperware or container that is hermetically closed. Another option is to keep it in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. When you want to continue molding with your little ones, remember to take it out a little before so that it is not so cold to the touch. If it's a bit hard, you know that with a few drops of oil it will become much more flexible. You must shape it for a few minutes.
How long does the salt dough take to dry?
It is true that this element can be used as plasticine, as we have commented. That is to say, we can create an endless number of shapes quickly and then undo them again and unite them in a big ball. But if you have been creating certain figures with the cookie cutters and want to have a memory, you can always dry them. You have two ways: outdoors and in the oven. The first one will take a long time (if you want to save the figures that have been molded you can let them air dry for two days) and the second one is faster but even so, depending on the figure, it may take a long time as the light is now. . So, you can always opt for a third option, which is the microwave.
You put the figures on a plate with flour. You are putting it in intervals of about 10 seconds, in order to check that everything is still in place and to be able to turn the pasta. Depending on each figure, it may take a total of about 5 or 6 minutes. They will surely go away in the blink of an eye! When they are cold they can be painted with acrylics, add glitter or varnish them. What do you think, are you in?