Super Easy Cloud Dough Recipe

With three variations to choose from and a 5 minute prep time, this colorful cloud dough comes together in a snap. 

Homemade play dough that’s silky smooth and smells good? Yes please!

It’ll be your kid’s new DIY obsession – especially if they touch everything. Even adults enjoy playing with this fluffy stuff.

This cloud dough would also be great in your sensory bins!

Want more sensory ideas? Be sure to check out our other fun sensory activities for kids!

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Super Easy Cloud Dough Recipe

This cloud dough recipe easy on your wallet because each recipe requires only two ingredients that you probably have in the pantry. 

Plus, it’s a rich sensory experience for sensory-seeking kiddos. 

Mixing. Crumbling. Kneading. Playing. 

No doubt about it – cloud dough will be your new family favorite sensory play activity. 

Cloud Dough Ingredients and Materials Required

You’re ready to create cloud dough if you have cornstarch and hair conditioner or body lotion.

A store-bought version is available too if you don’t want to make it yourself. 

Toddlers and kids alike love discovering those Play-Doh Slime packets inside their stockings, Advent calendars, and Easter baskets!

Ingredients for dough with hair conditioner:

• 2 cups cornstarch
• 1 cup conditioner 

Ingredients for dough with lotion:

• 1 cup cornstarch
• ½ cup regular or baby lotion

Materials for both recipes: 

• Spatula (optional)
• Food coloring (optional)
• Glitter (optional)
• Cookie cutters (optional)
• Measuring cups 
• Large mixing bowl or plastic bin

Step by Step Instructions

1. Add the conditioner or lotion to the measuring cup.
2. Add a few drops of food coloring and/or glitter to the measuring cup (if you wish). 
3. Stir with a spatula, spoon, or your hands.
4. Add the cornstarch to the mixing bowl.
5. Add the mixture in the measuring cup to the cornstarch.
6. Mix again using your hands (it will be crumbly!).
7. Knead the dough until it’s smooth, not sticky. 

If you want to make cloud dough of different colors, use one food coloring color per recipe. 

FAQ’s

How Do You Make Cloud Dough with Flour?

You can still make homemade play dough with flour and oil if you have none of the dough ingredients above. 

Vegetable oil, canola oil, and baby oil are your best bets to use here. 

And don’t use coconut oil because it hardens as it cools. That’ll make your dough very hard to work with. 

Materials for flour cloud dough: 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup oil 

How Long Does Cloud Dough Last?

Cloud dough starts to dry out and crumble after seven days.

You’ll need to add more lotion or water to the dough to keep it soft and smooth. 

A spray bottle works well for this, especially when the kiddos beg to help.

You can also brush water on the play dough with your fingers and knead it smooth and silky again. 

How to Store Cloud Dough?

To store the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it inside an airtight container or Ziploc bag. 

Like regular Play-Doh, cloud dough does not need to be refrigerated. 

So there you have it! A fun sensory experience made on the fly and a dime. And it lasts longer than Oobleck!

You can also check out this article on keeping yourself calm when your child is having a meltdown or tantrum.

Raising a child with a sensory processing disorder can be challenging, but we’re in this together.

About Kris

Kris McCormick is a boy mama, wife, and blogger. Since becoming a mom six years ago, she’s been researching the best advice, resources, and baby gear from small businesses to make pregnancy and child-raising easier for all parents. You can read more about Kris here.