Cloud Dough

Cloud dough is a fun craft that can be used for sensory play! It is a completely different texture from play dough (check out our homemade play dough recipe here), and it’s even easier to make!

This dough requires only two ingredients you will probably already have in your home: cornstarch and hair conditioner. If you want a cheaper hair conditioner to use for this project, Dollar Tree is a great place to go pick up a small bottle of conditioner. This adds to the scent too, or you can choose something unscented if you or your child find scented products to be overwhelming. The conditioner is what makes this dough so smooth, making it pleasant to play with.

Just as with play dough, there are so many things that you can do to make this craft a learning experience for your child. Get your kids involved from start to finish by having them make the dough. This can work on fine motor skills, like grasp and hand-eye coordination, and also counting. They can learn new words like “measuring cup” or “spoon.”

Since this dough is such a unique texture (hint: it’s called cloud dough because it resembles a cloud in your hands!), it is great for sensory play! If your child is overwhelmed or overstimulated, this is a great tool for them to use to calm down. You can always change up the texture of the cloud dough by adding more or less cornstarch. The more you add, the more crumbly it gets, sort of like sand. This texture of cloud dough is great to put in a small tub. Have your child put the cloud dough into different molds or shape the dough with cookie cutters. Additionally, you can mix some things into the cloud dough to change the texture even more!

How to Make Cloud Dough

Ingredients:

-1 cup cornstarch

-1/2 cup hair conditioner

Directions:

Mix the cornstarch and conditioner.

Add food coloring.

It is easier to start by using a spoon to mix the ingredients together. Once the cornstarch and conditioner start to get incorporated, feel free to start using your hands. This is a great way to feel if the dough is the right texture for you. You can add more cornstarch or conditioner until you get the consistency you like.

Finally, add some food coloring. This step is optional, but it’s a great way to spice things up. You can add any food coloring. We used the gel kind. It is easier to fold it in at first to get the food coloring spread into the dough rather than getting it all over your hands.