Playdough

[JacobsMom]

I just read the post on the colorations playdough being gluten-free....Does playdough in Walmart and toy stores really have Gluten in it?? My child has never played with it but recently we had a friend tell me her little one loves it and I was thinking about getting him some.

Gosh you just never know what Gluten is in....I am so new to this I focus on FOOD and have read post talking about hair products and I did check that but I would have never thought about playdough...or shcool products!!!! I am so scared to death...Now I will go home and check everything..haha

I just love this board!!!! You know maybe if we all protested we could get every manufacturer in the world to put warnings in plain ENGLISH on all products...LOL

[anerissara]

Most playdough is made mostly of flour and salt I have a big list of about a zillion play-dough recipes, some of which are really neat and don't contain gluten...if anyone wants them I can post a few. There is one particularly nice one that uses sand and dries up to form permanent sand castles...plus a few I think that use mostly corn starch.

Not that buying the Colorations kind at the store isn't a great idea! I'll have to get some for my kiddos.

[RAMAPOVALLEY]

I used to work at a scholl for autistic children and many of them are on a Gluten Free diet. Most parents would just put them on the diet and worry about food, but we had one highly educated parent in Gluten Free Diet issues and she used to make the playdough that we used with her child. She said that it was very easy to do and this way she was sure that there was no traces of Gluten in it. Unfortunately, I am not privy to the recipes, but I am sure that you can find them on the net. Good Luck and keep researching.

[Guest nini]

Yes all commercial brands of play dough (except for Colorations Wheat and Gluten Free dough) contain gluten. I make playdough for my daughter's entire class. Somewhere on this site VydorScope has posted a link with the recipe that I use... I can't find it right now, maybe someone with more computer savvy can figure it out!

[KaitiUSA]

Yep I agree with everyone who posted before me. Most Playdough contains gluten so you have to get the specialty kind. There are places you can get gluten free playdough or there are recipes to make your own

[JacobsMom]

Thanks...I guess if you look at the name you should know...LOL I just didnt think about it.

But I am getting there...by trial and error

[lisabp]

Here's a recipe that someone else posted on another thread here and my daughter (not celiac disease but a great help to her little brother) and I made some batches this weekend.

Open Original Shared Link

Actually, first we got out all the old playdough and threw it away and then we washed the old containers and cutters and such in hot soapy water. We made 2 batches of dough, both came out light. She wanted pink and light blue (which we mixed to get purple) and that's what we got. Since there's no kneading bread any more this was really fun to do and easy. Each recipe made 3 Play-Dough containers of gluten-free playdough. It actually works better that the commercial playdough (according to my expert) but it dries out faster. This is easily fixed by putting a few drops of water on your hands and then mixing the dough to get the water worked in again.

[m3f1229]

Most playdough is made mostly of flour and salt   I have a big list of about a zillion play-dough recipes, some of which are really neat and don't contain gluten...if anyone wants them I can post a few.  There is one particularly nice one that uses sand and dries up to form permanent sand castles...plus a few I think that use mostly corn starch. 

Not that buying the Colorations kind at the store isn't a great idea!  I'll have to get some for my kiddos.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[m3f1229]

Most playdough is made mostly of flour and salt   I have a big list of about a zillion play-dough recipes, some of which are really neat and don't contain gluten...if anyone wants them I can post a few.  There is one particularly nice one that uses sand and dries up to form permanent sand castles...plus a few I think that use mostly corn starch. 

Not that buying the Colorations kind at the store isn't a great idea!  I'll have to get some for my kiddos.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi I work at a preschool and we are in need of recipes for playdoughand snacks. I found this websites looking for them. If you would not mind posting or sending them to my email (m3f1229@aol.com) I would really apprecate it.

This year we are looking into making our school a peanut free and a gluten free zone if we are able. A big majority of the children do not have any problems but we want to make it as healthy as possible for those who do. Up to this year we have just been very careful in all areas so that the children stay healthy.

Not knowing what alleriges or dietary problems my children may have this year has me looking in was to make the classroom more user friendly. If anyone else has any ideas that would help please post them. We have a very tight budget and we try to make things like playdough and paint on our own. Plus the children love to help make the things they play with when possible.

Thank you.

Maryann

[Guest taweavmo3]

Maryann, can I just say a very big THANK YOU for going to the great lengths you are for your preschool kids???? I think that it is so great what you are doing, you don't know what a blessing it is for parents to have teachers like you. Even if you aren't able to make your class entirely gluten free, just the fact that you even know about gluten is SO helpful for parents. I hope I get so lucky when we venture into preschool soon!

I'm sure you'll get some good ideas from this site, even if you just search "snacks" from this board alone, you'd probably get alot of helpful hints. We are still a little new to the diet, so I feel too green to give much advice. Good luck, and thanks again for what a great effort you are making!

[e&j0304]

I have a question about the risks of playdough. Is it only a problem if it is ingested or can it cause a reaction just from touching the skin?

I know they play with it at Ella's preschool and I want to be prepared to either buy some safe dough to donate to her class or to make some to donate.

I was just wondering...I don't think Ella would ever eat it. She never has, but I guess you never know.

Thanks,

Shannon

[VydorScope]

This si what we use...

Open Original Shared Link

The link above to a recipe is on my server, but Ive not had much time to expirment with it.

[Guest taweavmo3]

The problem with playdough for us was accidental ingestion. We had some in the house right after Emmie was dx'd, and we ended up throwing it all away. That stuff just gets into and on everything.....it was under her nails, and then I'd find little bits here and there all over the house. My plan, when Ems does begin school, is to provide the playdough for the class. Even in my son's kindergarten class last year, the teachers were always in need of new dough. So I figure they'll be thrilled to have a designated provider.

The actual thought of Emmie going off too pre-school turns me into one big stressball! I just keep picturing all the kids with their gluten covered hands, spreading crumbs all over the place. I mean, she is just starting to get well, but an accident sends us way back. I feel for parents who have to deal with school issues right off the bat, at least I have time to build up to that whole new can of worms.

[Kasey'sMom]

My dd starts pre-school for the first time this fall and I have a pit in my stomach!! We're going to meet with her teacher and go over everything but I'm still worried. My dd is just starting to get better also. I wish I could be at pres-school washing hands and countertops....not realistic, I know.

My dd still sucks her thumb and she used to carry her blanket in one hand and the playdough in the other. We noticed her eczema got really bad on her face when she started playing with gluten playdough. I make her playdough and she's constantly got her hands in her mouth.....almost like she craves it.

[lbsteenwyk]

Tamara:

Plan on spending a lot of time researching and visiting preschools. Plan to spend several hours observing the teachers in the classroom setting. This will help you see which ones really have the best handwashing policies and are least likely to cause contamination issues. I chose a preschool where all the children bring their own lunch, so my daughter wouldn't be singled out as being different. They have a no food sharing policy, and so far cross-contamination has not been an issue for us. I also send a daily snack for my daughter, since the preschool does provide snacks (almost always gluten-filled) for the kids. I was also fortunate enough to find a school with a stringent hand washing policy - kids wash when they come to school, after art projects, before using the sensory table (table filled with rice, beans, etc), before and after meals and of course after using the bathroom.

I think it is entirely possible to find a preschool that will work with you to keep gluten accidents to a minimum. The key is doing thorough research ahead of time.

[Guest nini]

I really lucked out with my daughter's preschool... she just started the big Kindergarten on Wednesday, and when I was doing all my planning and preparation for sending her to school, I realized just how lucky I was with her preschool... they didn't allow the kids to bring their own meals, so in order to accommodate her they let me bring in all her food stuff and they would prepare it for her. They went through stringent cleaning procedures in the kitchen and had designated "clean" pans that were only for her food. They would also periodically make a gluten free meal for the entire class with food that I provided so that she wouldn't feel singled out and could share HER food with her class. They would make her meals as close to or just like whatever the other kids were having, Once or twice a month they would let me know what she was getting low on and I would re stock their supply. She had her own shelf in the pantry and two bins in the freezer with her food.

I make my own playdough and provide enough for the entire class... they are supposed to let me know whenever they need more. I provide dried gluten-free pasta noodles for the whole class for arts and craft projects.

I've already started this with her new teachers... here's hoping it all works out!