Salt Dough?

[FeedIndy]

My daughter brought home a list of ingredients that she will need for tomorrow's lesson. They are making something with salt & flour dough. Her ingredient was salt-right! I'll have to send everything so she can make a safe batch, but what kind of flour is best for this project?

It calls for 16-oz salt, 1-lb flour and water. I'll happily send everything she needs, but I want to be sure it works the way the teacher is expecting.

TIA!

[vanillazeis]

i would probably buy a gluten free flour blend, because i think those do the most like wheat flour... or you can make one...

3 cups garbanzo/fava bean flour

2 cups potato starch

2 cups cornstarch

1 cup tapioca flour

1 cup sorghum flour

(obviously that makes 9 cups, if you need less, reduce recipe)

I don't know if id let my kiddo go, unless they would all use the flour you provide. I'm probably a little paranoid though.

Good Luck!

[kevieb]

how old is your daughter? i was cautioning my daughter about checking ingredients on some "goo" she was playing with and she said, "mom, i know how to wash my hands."

[FeedIndy]

how old is your daughter? i was cautioning my daughter about checking ingredients on some "goo" she was playing with and she said, "mom, i know how to wash my hands."

Well, that's true. She's 9, but can sometimes be irresponsible. In a situation where I won't be there to remind her if she forgets, I think I'd rather not risk her getting ill. It's been a rough few weeks with my girls and their food issues (we have recently discovered a red dye reaction and done quite a bit of travel which included dining out).

[Juliet]

Gluten free flour dough doesn't harden through air drying the way regular flour does, and from those ingredients listed, it sounds like they're making a version of play-dough. That's why all the gluten free "play-dough" recipes want them cooked first. You can't really substitute anything, unfortunately, that can easily be mixed in class.

I would also be concerned with the flour floating in the air. I know that in those cases my son gets sick every time. Small amounts get ingested without him knowing. Have you thought about keeping her out of the class during that time or on that day?

[Merika]

Eek! I would keep ds home that day, or insist on providing for ALL kids a gluten-free version (but that probably defeats the point of the project...)

If *I* were in the class (an adult who can wash her hands...) I would skip that day...waaay too much airborne flour floating around guaranteed to make me sick.

Hth,

Merika

[Merika]

Ps. (((wave))) to Juliet

[mykidsmommy]

Eek! I would keep ds home that day, or insist on providing for ALL kids a gluten-free version (but that probably defeats the point of the project...)

If *I* were in the class (an adult who can wash her hands...) I would skip that day...waaay too much airborne flour floating around guaranteed to make me sick.

Hth,

Merika

I am really new to all of this, just found out DD is gluten and caisen sensitive so bear with me, but I have seen other references to airborne and skin contact with gluten. In this response the mention is airborne flour -- is gluten sensitivity really to the point where you cannot even be in the room with a gluten substance??

Again, excuse my ignorance but I really want to know if this is something that I'm going to have to advocate through a 504 plan at school because I don't intend for my DD to miss school every time there is a gluten containing activity going on - as an elem. school teacher this could very well be 2 days a week, if not more when you include art classes, etc.! I know finger paints contain gluten and of course kids can and will eat glue off their fingers. . .but inhaling flour??

UGH, This is freaking me out.

My DD is 2 1/2 and I'm wondering

[mamaloca2]

My daughter brought home a list of ingredients that she will need for tomorrow's lesson. They are making something with salt & flour dough. Her ingredient was salt-right! I'll have to send everything so she can make a safe batch, but what kind of flour is best for this project?

It calls for 16-oz salt, 1-lb flour and water. I'll happily send everything she needs, but I want to be sure it works the way the teacher is expecting.

TIA!

If what they are making is playdough, then Quinoa flour is a great substitute. It's what I use. I would see if the teacher would use that instead for the whole class, so you don't have to worry about airborn flour or cross contamination.

[Merika]

I am really new to all of this, just found out DD is gluten and caisen sensitive so bear with me, but I have seen other references to airborne and skin contact with gluten. In this response the mention is airborne flour -- is gluten sensitivity really to the point where you cannot even be in the room with a gluten substance??

Being in the room with gluten is not a problem. For example, my dh eats a gluten sandwich every day sitting across the table from me. Neither I nor ds gets sick.

However, I will not let him bake his own bread in the kitchen. Any airborne gluten particles (like you'll see in the air if you put flour in a mixer) will be inhaled and some of this ultimately will end up in your mouth and being eaten. So, airborne = ingested. Not to mention the fine coat of flour dust that lands everywhere and you can't really see....

There are some celiacs with DH (dermatitis herpetiformis), a skin condition, that shows up with gluten contact, but most celiacs don't have it, and if your dd did, you'd see it. I touch gluten every day doing the dishes and cleaning up around the house, but I always wash my hands immediately afterwards, so I don't accidentally put my hands in my mouth....

Hth,

Merika

[mykidsmommy]

Being in the room with gluten is not a problem. For example, my dh eats a gluten sandwich every day sitting across the table from me. Neither I nor ds gets sick.

However, I will not let him bake his own bread in the kitchen. Any airborne gluten particles (like you'll see in the air if you put flour in a mixer) will be inhaled and some of this ultimately will end up in your mouth and being eaten. So, airborne = ingested. Not to mention the fine coat of flour dust that lands everywhere and you can't really see....

There are some celiacs with DH (dermatitis herpetiformis), a skin condition, that shows up with gluten contact, but most celiacs don't have it, and if your dd did, you'd see it. I touch gluten every day doing the dishes and cleaning up around the house, but I always wash my hands immediately afterwards, so I don't accidentally put my hands in my mouth....

Hth,

Merika

I see what you are saying. I guess I am confused as well because my daughter has the gluten and casein sensitivty through enterolabs but no malabsoprtion through the fatty stool test. . .yet. Obviously we want to prevent that which is why we'll do the Gluten-free Casein-free diet.

I guess I'm wondering if there is a level where some gluten sentivite people or celiacs can tolerate gluten to some degree - like if it is airborne. Sort of like an allergy threashold with animals where maybe a poodle may not make me have a reaction but if i get around a german sherpard I'm going to sneeze like crazy. . . something like that?

I know, that problem makes no sense.

thanks for your reply!

[kbtoyssni]

Flour is notoriously bad at flying all over the place, getting inhaled, getting stuck in small places and being impossible to clean up, etc. I have no problem sitting next to someone eating a wheat-bread sandwich, but I would not want to be anywhere near wheat flour.

[angel-jd1]

The problem is not so much being in the same room as a gluten product, but being in the same room with gluten flour. Flour is notoriously bad at flying all over the place, getting inhaled, getting stuck in small places and being impossible to clean up, etc. I have no problem sitting next to someone eating a wheat-bread sandwich, but I would not want to be anywhere near wheat flour.

I totally agree. Flour hangs in the air FOREVER and is terribly hard to clean up. I have gotten sick before from being in the room with some students who were making wheat bread in class. It was NOT a good feeling. It just isn't something that I can or will risk anymore. I stay away from flour and people baking with it.

-Jessica

[kevieb]

there are going to be plenty of times during the school years where substances will be used that are dangerous and/or toxic-----i don't intend on NOT allowing my children to participate in science experiments or art projects because of this. when i was in school we had a really exciting science class, and our teacher had us all tasting acid. tasting acid could have had some really serious consequences, but he took the necessary precautions and we got to do a really cool experiment. gluten is alot less dangerous than so many other substances our kids are going to come into contact with.

for my family, i'd rather teach my kids how to take the necessary precautions, such as gloves, hand washing, or a filter mask-----rather than not allow them to participate in an activity.

[Juliet]

"as an elem. school teacher this could very well be 2 days a week, if not more when you include art classes, etc.! I know finger paints contain gluten and of course kids can and will eat glue off their fingers"

There are actually several name brand companies that have gluten free art products. Everything Crayola makes, except for the Crayola Dough, is gluten free. This includes finger paints, Color Wonder products, regular paints, their Air Dry Clay and Model Magic, etc. Elmer's glue is gluten free. You can even buy online gluten free versions of "Play Dough" by Colorations (www.discountschoolsupply.com) . Plus, none of these products really become airborn, so if your child is the only one using a gluten free product in these cases, it probably wouldn't be a problem. My son is just about to turn 4 and just started pre-school and so far we haven't had any problems with the art projects

[rysmom]

I have a 4 year old and a 12 year old. Every year at the beginning of the school year I either send in a note or make an appointment to talk with the new teacher. I let the new teacher know about our allergies and special needs. I also let them know that I do not mind sending in alternatives for my child.

One year I went into the classroom and explained our allergy to the students. Young kids can be sweet and understanding when they have had something explained to them. I have never run into any problems with either teachers or children. Once I've explained, everyone has tried to be so helpful. So much has changed in the last decade, I expect it will be even easier as my four year old goes through school. He started preschool this year and I have actually volunteered to make the play-dough for the classroom. There is a recipe that uses corn starch, baking soda, and water. I think I found it on the back of the box (argo brand). It makes a great soft dough.

Also, I was a teacher before I was a mom and I would have loved to have had the extra information and parent communication. Don't be afraid to speak up and tell your teacher what you need!