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Cloud dough recipe

Cloud Dough with Lotion

An easy sensory 2-ingredient cloud dough for kids of any age.
4.91 from 10 votes
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time2 minutes
Total Time7 minutes
Yield: 1 batch
Author: Carine

Materials

  • ½ cup Corn Starch
  • ¼ cup Lotion or conditioner

Optional

  • 2-3 drops Natural food coloring or 1 teaspoon spices * see notes

Instructions

  • Measure all the ingredients precisely with measuring cups that you fill up to the top and level up.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, add Conditioner or lotion, liquid food coloring if used, and corn starch.
  • Stir with a spatula at first. It will form crumbly sand, that's normal, and kids love this part. Dig your hand in the mixture, squeeze and run the ingredients together to form a dough. It will look like damp sand that holds together as you apply pressure on it then crumbles again.
  • After 1 minute of kneading the dough, it should form a moldable dough similar to classic playdough, but that breaks much more easily into pieces.
  • Play with it as is or crumble in a plastic tub to create a sensory bin.

How to fix cloud dough?

  • If the dough is too sticky, add more cornstarch, 1 teaspoon at a time, knead between each addition.
  • If the dough is drying out - this always happens after 15-20 minutes - add more lotion, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, knead to incorporate, and adjust if needed.

How to store the dough?

  • Store cloud dough in a sealed lightly oiled box for few weeks. The dough will dry as it goes, use the steps above to fix the texture.

Notes

You can use natural powders as food coloring. It won't pop out as much, but they are natural and easy swaps if you don't have food coloring at home:
  • Beet powder for pink
  • Turmeric for orange
  • Cinnamon for brown
  • Spirulina powder or Matcha powder for green/blue