Imagination & {Grapefruit-Scented Play Dough}

grapefruit-scented playdough

He wants to live in the top of a lighthouse. 

He thinks we should build a lake in our backyard.

He says that cloud over there looks like an elephant drinking water.

Our basement is filled with crocodiles.

He told me, while staring out the window as we drove through the country, that trees make him want to dance.

He worries that the cough he has right now might be from The Dust Bowl. 

He makes up hilarious breakdancing moves, recently including one that he describes as, "when God is sprinkling snow everywhere." (spinning, sprinkling motion ;) )

He will exclaim, "It is such a beautiful day!" (even on days that seem gray, gray and more gray)

He pointed to the space separating the two columns and the spaces between paragraphs in a book I was reading, and said they reminded him of the yellow brick road from Wizard of Oz where Dorothy meets the scarecrow and doesn't know which way to go.

He had a dream that each person in our family had a balloon, and that we all flew up to the sky together.




I want to climb inside this boy's beautiful imagination and explore every inch. To spend a day with him is like a hot air balloon ride. You somehow float above things, see them in a new light, with new eyes. 

I see this fresh, vivid imagination starting to blossom in my little guys as well, and it is such a gift to be able to watch them all grow together, play together, pretend together. 




I know there are a hundred play dough recipes out there, (sparkles? colored with kool-aid? chocolate? marbled? you name it, it's probably out there.). I haven't tried them all, but I've tried a few. This one is our favorite base, because it keeps for a looong time. Well over a year before ours started drying out at all and we had to make a new batch. And the grapefruit essential oil? It is known to stimulate creativity. Plus who wouldn't want their play dough to smell like grapefruit? (A little over the top, I know...but it's the little things, right??) 

Grapefruit-Scented Play Dough

 *This is such a fun project to get your kids involved in. Something so satisfying about making something that they've helped you make from scratch. They'll love to help pick colors, and watch as they swirl together and become new colors. 

*Play dough will keep for a long time stored in a covered plastic container or plastic sandwich bag. Tell your kids to keep the colors separate. They may completely ignore you, and you will end up with the "marbled" effect, mentioned above. This may or may not have happened to ours shortly after I took this picture.

Ingredients:

1 cup white flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

1 tablespoon oil (I used unrefined coconut oil this past time, and it worked great and added little tropical kick to it)

1 cup water

food coloring (have fun! so many possibilities.)

Grapefruit essential oil (optional...you could also use any other e.o. or a combination.)

Mix first 4 ingredients in a pan. Add water and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes. Dough will become difficult to stir and form a "clump." (translation...this is hard. Your arm workout for the day is complete.) Remove from stove and knead for 5 minutes. Add food coloring and several drops of essential oil during kneading process.

Recipe adapted from: mommyfootprint.com