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Cardamom Playdough (Warming Spices Playdough)

Sep 22, 20138,331 views
Play Doh
Playdough Recipe : Cardamom Playdough Save
spicy playdough Save
invitation to play with playdough Save
all spices fall playdough Save
clove playdough Save
cardamom spices Save
clove powders Save

by TurkeyMom in Play Doh

Ages3–8 yrs
Prep30 min
Activity30 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Make a small batch of aromatic playdough with ground cardamom, then swap in cloves or cinnamon for a trio of warming fall spice doughs. Kids can help tap open cardamom pods for a fine-motor warm-up.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Adult handles the boiling water and mixes the hot dough. Let it cool before kids knead it.
  • Adult uses the spice grinder.
  • Playdough is very salty and is not food. Don't let kids eat it, and supervise younger children who mouth things.
  • Whole cardamom pods and cloves are small choking hazards. Keep them away from children who still mouth objects, and supervise closely if setting them out for play.
  • Spice powders can sting eyes. Wash hands after play and keep hands away from faces.
  • Supervise pod-tapping with a toy hammer or heavy spoon.

Before the kids arrive

  • If using whole pods: tap the cardamom pods to loosen them, split them open and collect the black seeds (kids can help).
  • Adult grinds the cardamom seeds (coarse) and/or whole cloves (fine) in a spice grinder.
  • Optional: make the dough ahead. It keeps in an airtight container if it isn't too moist.

Steps

  1. Tap each cardamom pod gently with a toy hammer or heavy spoon, split it open and collect the black seeds.

  2. Adult: grind the seeds (or whole cloves) in a small spice grinder into powder.

  3. Put 1/2 cup flour, 2 tbsp spice powder, 2 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp cream of tartar in a bowl.

  4. Add 1 tbsp oil and a few drops of food color.

  5. Adult: pour in 1/4 cup (or a little over) boiling water and stir until it comes together.

  6. Once it's cool enough to touch, knead it into a ball. If it's too loose, knead in a little more flour.

  7. Make more batches with 1 tbsp cloves powder or 1 tbsp cinnamon powder instead of cardamom.

  8. Set out the doughs on a tray with small bowls of whole spices, cinnamon sticks and a rolling pin.

  9. Store each dough in a zip-top bag or airtight container.

Tips

  • The fresh, black, round or oval seeds give the best taste and aroma. Dry, flaky seeds are still ok in playdough but don't smell as good.from the author
  • Removing the spices from the pods is a GREAT fine motor activity. My 5-year-old tried it for a while. As soon as the newness wore off she left, of course.from the author
  • The amount of spice is clearly based on preference. We used 2 tbsp cardamom, but just 1 tbsp each of cloves and cinnamon.from the author
  • If the playdough becomes too loose with excess water, add a little flour before storing it.from the author
  • Don't make it too moist and it will keep for a while in an air-tight container.from the author
  • With a little food color the playdough comes together really great!from the author

Make it your own

  • Cloves playdough: replace the cardamom with 1 tbsp cloves powder.
  • Cinnamon playdough: replace the cardamom with 1 tbsp cinnamon powder.
  • Set up a warming-spices invitation to play with the three doughs, whole spices and cinnamon sticks.

Questions readers asked

Can the playdough be made ahead and reused?

Yes. If you don't make it too moist, it keeps for a while in an air-tight container. The author stores hers in zip-top bags.

Do I have to grind whole cardamom pods?

No. You can easily use cardamom powder. The author used pods only because she already had them in the pantry.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · September 2013
Playdough Recipe : Cardamom Playdough
Fall has officially started and the weather has cooled down a little, so it was time to whip up warming spices playdough with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
1 / 7

Cardamom Playdough (Warming Spices Playdough): the original post

: Make warming spices playdough for fall using this simple playdough recipe. We made cardamom playdough, cinnamon playdough and cloves playdough. Fall has officially started here in the Northern Hemisphere and finally the weather has cooled down a little. It was time to whip up another bactch of playdough and this time we used a simple playdough recipe to make warming spices fall playdough. We used 3 simple spices : cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. For our whole collection of playdough recipes and playdough play ideas visit our category page. Cardamom playdough recipe I can’t believe how we have never used this aromatic, wonderful spice in our play recipes before. I often replace cinnamon with cardamom in my tea and it tastes fantastic.

You can easily use cardamom powder for this playdough recipe. Since I buy all these spices in bulk, it will be a waste to buy the powder while I have the pods sitting in the pantry. I gathered a handful of the whole cardamom pods and gently tapped on each of them to loosen the pods. Split them open and collect the actual black spices inside. The fresh, black, round or oval ones give the best taste. I try to choose the nicest green pods as possible. Oftentimes you will find dry, flaky shapeless seeds inside. They are still ok to use in the playdough recipe but don’t give the best aroma. Removing the spices from the pods is a GREAT fine motor activity for the little kids. My 5 year tried it for a while- as soon as the newness wore off she left of course. I think the kids will have a great kick out of tapping on the pods ( use a small toy hammer or a heavy spoon) cardamom spices Once we collected some of the spices, I ground the black seeds in a small spice grinder and made a coarse powder. The next spice we used for this playdough recipe was cloves. Cloves are pretty common. I took a handful of them and ground them into a fine powder.

clove powders

I modified our fresh flowers playdough recipe to make the warming spices playdough.

clove playdough

With a little food color the playdough comes together really great!

spicy playdough

Cinnamon doesn’t need any introduction. I used store bought cinnamon powder for the playdough recipe.

all spices fall playdough

I set out this aromatic spices playdough invitation to welcome fall. Check back tomorrow to see how we played with it. Ooh the kids made some wonderful creations.

invitation to play with playdough

Warming spices playdough recipe

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 tbsp cardamom powder (minimum- vary the amount based on preference)
  • Few drops of food color
  • 2tbsp salt
  • 1tbsp oil
  • 1tbsp cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup (or a little over) boiling water.

If the playdough becomes too loose and pliable with excess water make sure you add a little flour and then store it. We store in a air sealed bags (Ziplocs). Any air tight container should work.

For cloves playdough recipe and cinnamon playdough recipe, use the same measurements and replace cardamom with the cloves powder and cinnamon powder. We went with 1 tbsp of cloves powder and 1 tbsp of cinnamon powder. The amount of spice is clearly based on preference.

To see how we created and played with the play dough and spices visit our play dough play : Spices and play dough post.

Thanks for reading

Feel free to in this image

cardamom playdough for fall

What readers say

💬 3 comments ✍️ 1 answered by the author

Answered by the author

“Can it be stored and reused, or made ahead of time?” · Claire

Author Yes. If you don't make it too moist, it keeps for a while in an air-tight container.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Keep it drier so it stores

A reader asked about making it ahead. The author says it keeps for a while in an air-tight container if it isn't made too moist.

“Yes if you don't make them too moist, they will keep for a while in an air-tight container.”
TurkeyMom, Sep 2013

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Read all 3 comments

  1. Carmen · Oct 2013

    Which color food coloring did you use for the cloves playdough?

  2. Claire · Sep 2013

    Brilliant!! I bet my little one will love the aroma. I will try them tomorrow. Just one silly question... can these be preserved and re-used? Or made beforehand? ... Thanks!

  3. TurkeyMomAuthor · Sep 2013 · replying to Claire

    Yes if you don't make them too moist, they will keep for a while in an air-tight container.

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