Thursday, April 12, 2012

Rainy Day Activity: Make Playdough!

Today was decidedly... well... Autumnal. Cool, blustery, wet... what to do with two rambunctious children on such a day? After dragging them to the shops to buy new ugg boots and a quick detour to watch (and dance to) the free stage show, a spot of lunch and a wee little afternoon kip, I knew the house was in trouble. On such days, my children quite literally tear the place apart. Can't seem to help themselves.

But then! I remembered a trinket I'd bought 12 months ago and stored away as an emergency 'gift' that might just just rescue me from my impending sense of doom...

... a children's pizza making kit, if you will!


Excitedly, Fern and I donned our aprons and (in Fern's case) chef's hat and I brought the little wooden step over to the counter so Fern could help me make pizza for dinner. From scratch, peeps!

But before I could channel my inner Nigella with my eldest offspring I remembered boy-o. Or rather, he remembered me. His toy tractors apparently were not going to distract him from pizza making, or indeed any other endeavour. He shoved my daughter aside and climbed the little step, reaching out with little paws to grab the pizza cutter... rolling pin... bag of flour...

Fern was in tears and Elliott made it clear if there was any action to be had, he wanted a part of it.

trouble brewing......

What to do?

But my husband's iPad was nearby and an idea struck. Typing 'make play dough' into Google came up trumps and I sighed with relief.

Strapping Elliott into his high chair and Fern into her seat I quickly threw the following ingredients from this decadently simple recipe into a bowl and stirred and kneaded madly for about 4.5 minutes, then foraged in the pantry for idle play dough plastic bits and pieces and threw them, along with two balls of gloriously handmade play dough onto the table for the kids.

I prayed.

And then I made pizza.

Elliott sat in that highchair for TWO HOURS and. didn't. whine. once.







Playdough.

Do it.

Thank me later. ;)

xx

5 comments:

  1. How wonderful is playdough?! Hours of entertainment. Xx

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  2. That is totally fantastic Nicole, all I can say is well done Mama, for salvaging that nightmare situation. I find it tough with the little guy when my big guy and I are trying to cook in the kitchen. It's far more difficult when a toddler gets involved. But the playdough option is a fab idea.
    Was hoping to see a shot of the pizza! Hope it turned out as well as the play dough did xo

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  3. Nice work, Mum.
    Play dough is the best - but TWO HOURS - that is super impressive.
    :-) x

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  4. Childhood flashback!! Thank you Nicole! My mum used to make playdough for us when we were growing up, and I loved it! Much preferred it to plasticine (way too hard to mould into a cool shape or animal). Throw in some biscuit cutters and we were busy for ages!

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  5. I'm such a spoil sport when it comes to play doh. Your post reminded me how I sent a gift of play doh packing with Amelie to my mother-in-laws to avoid any disasters of it getting squished into our carpet.

    My MIL reported how much fun she had had playing with it that it made me realise I should lighten up a little and with a bit of supervision I'm sure any disaster could be averted.

    I must get out a recipe and make a pile for her to play with.

    Kate

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