Play and Relax Family Style
Friends! This is the bees knees, no joke. I was browsing for something to do with the kiddos today because after such a busy day yesterday, I knew this pregnant mama would be super exhausted (and lets face it, grouchy). I stumbled upon Living Well Mom's Calming Homemade Playdough and thought "this is it"! Playdough in and of itself is relaxing to play with. It involves all of the senses, but sometimes the smell is nasty and your hands reek for hours!
As you know, we love essential oils at our house, and why I never thought of putting it in playdough is beyond me. It's pretty genius. While the author suggested using Lavender and Vetiver, I decided to switch Vetiver for Roman Chamomile.
Why Lavender and Roman Chamomile?
Both are considered "safe" to use with newborns, and while they wouldn't be playing with the dough themselves, the scent is in the air and you'll be touching them with your hands. It's nice not to have to worry about it.
Lavender is known to calm stress and anxiety as well as improve focus and concentration, and Roman Chamomile is commonly used to reduce stress, irritability, and overexcitement. Thus, together, they make the perfect combination for a calm hour (or two) of play when put into the playdough.
{Personally, I LOVE Roman Chamomile. It's one of my favorite oils that I recommend to everyone, but personally hoard. Whether or not you are a parent, this is a must-have in your essential oil stash.}
Personal Recipe Adjustments:
~I didn't want to make several little batches of dough, so I decided to double the recipe and add the color in separately. The colors don't end up as vibrant as when added directly to the mixture on the stove, but the kids liked picking their own colors.
~I added the essential oils by hand when mixing the colors, but they can be added to the original mixture on the stove as well. I chose a ratio of 3 drops Lavender to 1 drop Roman Chamomile, so the aroma was more balanced. Play with it and make it your own!
~For play I put out large pieces of wax paper on the table to make cleanup a bit easier, but I'd really love to try Living Well Mom's play mats! She has some for all seasons/occasions. I then gave the kiddos plastic knives, cookie cutters, and little toys from the prize box.
SO that's it! If you're looking for a fun way to spend the morning/afternoon with your kids and minimal fighting, give this dough a try! It takes less than 10 minutes to make and only a minute more to set up to play. If you use different oils, I'd love to hear what you did!
Happy Playing,
Madeline
P.S. If you're in need to essential oils, remember to use coupon code:SEED to save 10% from Spark Naturals! :D
