How to make homemade play dough

Step 1: Invite your favorite 3-year-old nephew over for a visit.

Step 2: Put your very helpful 1-year-old down for a nap.

Step 3: Gather the ingredients: 1.5 cups flour, 3/4 cup salt, 3 tsp cream of tartar, 1/2 Tbsp oil, 1.5 cups water

Step 4: Let your 3-year-old help dump the salt into the water and stir to dissolve.

Step 5: Add the food coloring of your choice to the salt and water mixture (we chose blue), and stir.

Step 6: Combine the dry ingredients in a pot, and stir. Slowly add the water/salt/food coloring, and stir.

Step 7: Over medium heat, cook the play dough stirring constantly until it comes together in a ball in the middle of the pot. Meanwhile, make your helper do the dishes to keep him safely away from the hot stove. =)

Step 8: Knead the play dough on the counter 20-30 times until it comes together in a smooth consistency.

Step 9: Get out plastic spoons, knives, forks, and cookie cutters, and have a blast creating. Smiling until your cheeks hurt is optional.Finishing up: After you make 3,862 trains and name them all at the request of your nephew, make a stick figure person explaining as you go as so, "Look - see the eyes? I'm giving him a huge smile...and a button nose." Then hold it together when your nephew looks at your creation and says, "I like your frog, Aunt Alicia."Seriously, if you haven't played with play dough in years, grab a kid and make some. So much fun!