Pearly Dough

I found the basis for this play dough recipe in Glues Brews and Goos by Diana F. Marks. I had to change the size of the recipe as well as some of the instructions because I had a lumping problem. I didn't get any pictures of my smooth batches, so you'll have to use your imagination. The last picture in this post is probably be best one in which to see the lumps, if you're into that sort of thing.

The original title is "Pearly Clay," but I couldn't get it to a clay consistency. Also, though the original recipe says it hardens well, I didn't find that to be exactly true. But this is a fun dough because it's a bit translucent.

You need:

2 cups salt
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
2 cups cornstarch

1. Combine the salt and boiling water. Allow to cool (this is important to avoid lumps).
2. Combine the cold water and cornstarch.
3. Combine the salt and cornstarch mixtures in a pot, stirring constantly over low heat until it reaches a stuff cookie dough consistency. Allow to cool.
4. Knead the dough until it's as smooth as you like it.

I found it very hard to mix the cold water and the cornstarch. For those of you Oobleck fans, it's stiff Oobleck. If you have the same problem, use less water for the salt and add it to the cornstarch.

You can add liquid watercolors to this dough for a nice effect. Glitter is fun too.

Allergy Note: This recipe contains cornstarch, so it is not to be used in a classroom with a corn allergy.