# Summer Fruits Playdough
> Make soft, fruity-scented playdough in summer flavors: no-cook watermelon (liquid Kool-Aid), cooked pineapple (JELL-O) and no-cook coconut (coconut flakes and white food color). Compare the scents and pick a favorite.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/summer-fruits-playdough-recipe/
- Ages: 2–5 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 35 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 1 kids
- Skills: sensory-exploration, fine-motor, smell
- Cautions: wheat-gluten, food-dye, nuts, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 0.5 cup All-purpose flour (watermelon dough) (household)
- 4.5 tbsp Boiling water (watermelon dough) (household)
- 1.5 tbsp Salt (watermelon dough) (household)
- 0.5 tbsp Cream of tartar (watermelon dough)
- 1.5 tbsp Oil (watermelon dough) (household)
- 1.5 tbsp Liquid Watermelon Kool-Aid
- Red food color (optional)
- 1 cup Flour (pineapple dough) (household)
- 1 cup Water (pineapple dough) (household)
- 2 tbsp Oil (pineapple dough) (household)
- 2 tbsp Cream of tartar (pineapple dough)
- 0.25 cup Salt (pineapple dough) (household)
- 3 oz Island Pineapple JELL-O
- Yellow food color (optional)
- 0.5 cup All-purpose flour (coconut dough) (household)
- 4.5 tbsp Boiling water (coconut dough) (household)
- 1.5 tbsp Salt (coconut dough) (household)
- 0.5 tbsp Cream of tartar (coconut dough)
- 1.5 tbsp Oil (coconut dough) (household)
- 0.25 cup Coconut flakes
- White food color
- 1 piece Mixing bowl (household)
- 1 piece Fork (household)
- 1 piece Saucepan (household)
- Plastic baggies (optional)
- Liquid watercolors (optional)

## Substitutions
- Instead of watermelon kool aid: Watermelon JELL-O (Listed by the author as an alternative. JELL-O dough uses a different recipe from Kool-Aid dough, so use the cooked JELL-O recipe (like the pineapple one).)
- Instead of pineapple jello: Pineapple Kool-Aid (The author says you can swap it in, but use the Kool-Aid play dough recipe, since it differs from the JELL-O recipe.)

## Safety
- Adult handles the boiling water for the no-cook doughs and does all stovetop cooking for the pineapple dough.
- Let cooked dough cool and check the center before handing it to kids.
- Not food: the doughs smell like fruit and candy but contain a lot of salt, so don't let kids eat them. Supervise mouthing-age toddlers closely.
- Contains wheat flour. The coconut dough contains coconut flakes, which some people with tree-nut allergies avoid.
- The white food color leaves a light white residue on palms. The author says it washes away immediately and doesn't stain.

## Before you start
- Adult makes the doughs before play: boiling water for the no-cook doughs, stovetop for the pineapple dough.
- Let the cooked pineapple dough cool completely before play.
- For mango dough, use the recipe in our original mango play dough post (/mango-playdough-recipe/).

## Steps
1. Watermelon dough: mix 1/2 cup flour, 1.5 tbsp salt and 1/2 tbsp cream of tartar well in a bowl.
2. Add 1.5 tbsp oil and 1.5 tbsp liquid watermelon Kool-Aid. Adult adds 1/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp boiling water a little at a time.
3. Knead with a fork until it forms a dough. Add red food color if you want more color.
4. Coconut dough: mix the same flour, salt and cream of tartar amounts with 1/4 cup coconut flakes and 1.5 tbsp oil.
5. Adult mixes in the boiling water. Knead with a fork, then add white food color to your liking.
6. Pineapple dough: mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp cream of tartar, 1/4 cup salt and a 3 oz box of pineapple JELL-O. Remove the clumps.
7. Adult: cook over medium heat in a saucepan. Add yellow food color for a more intense color.
8. Adult: take it off the heat when the dough doesn't stick to the sides of the pan anymore. Let it cool before play.
9. Set the doughs out side by side, smell each one and pick your favorite summer fruit.
10. Squish, roll and stack the colors into a fruity tower.

## Tips
- I used a different ingredient for each summer fruit to see which we liked the best.
- For reference, half a cup of flour makes a smaller ball and one whole cup makes a bigger one. Check the photo to plan how much to make.
- The white food color leaves a light white residue on your palms, like kneading flour. It didn't bother my child, and it washes away immediately without staining.
- Swapping Kool-Aid for JELL-O? Use the Kool-Aid play dough recipe, since the two differ.
- Want a brighter dough? Add a little red or yellow food color.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

*Easy play dough recipe with sweet, fruity summer scents.* ! After making our simple homemade [**mango play dough**](https://www.funlittles.com/mango-playdough-recipe/) and our ever-so-sweet smelling [**tropical fruits sensory rice**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-tropical-fruits-sensory-rice-recipe/) we have been hooked with the fruity scents of summer. So it's only natural we play with homemade play dough We made mango, watermelon, pineapple(yum!) and coconut playdough. I used a different ingredient for each summer fruit to see which we liked the best! **The primary ingredient(s) for** *{ Product links included}* **Watermelon Playdough** : **[Liquid Watermelon Kool-Aid](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J8NGRES/?tag=blmemo-20)** **Mango Playdough**: Store Brand Drink Mix ( you can use Kool-Aid **[Mango Drink Mix](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006UT0NRA/?tag=blmemo-20)** ) **Pineapple Playdough** : **[Pineapple JELL-O](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OK8Z6U/?tag=blmemo-20)** **Coconut Playdough :** Coconut flakes and **White Food Color**  For your reference, here is an image for the quantities of playdough half cup flour and one whole cup of flour gives you.  Playdough Recipe: **Watermelon Playdough {No cook}**

- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup + 1/2 TBSP boiling water
- 1.5 TBSP Salt
- 1/2 TBSP Cream of Tartar
- 1.5 TBSP Oil
- 1.5 TBSP of Liquid Kool-Aid

Add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the boiling water little bit at a time and knead with a fork. If more color is desired, add red food color. **Pineapple Playdough**

- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water
- 2 TBSP oil
- 2TBSP Cream of Tartar
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1 3 oz Island Pineapple Jello

Mix all the ingredients and remove clumps. Cook over medium heat in a saucepan. Add yellow food color if you want a more intense color. Remove from heat when the dough doesn't stick to the sides of the pan anymore. Of course you can substitute Pineapple Kool-Aid (link at the end of the post) for Jello and make Pineapple Play dough. Make sure to use the recipe for Kool-Aid play dough since they differ from Jello Playdough. **Coconut Playdough**

- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup + 1/2 TBSP boiling water
- 1.5 TBSP Salt
- 1/2 TBSP Cream of Tartar
- 1.5 TBSP Oil
- 1/4 cup of coconut flakes
- White food color

Add all the dry ingredients. Mix boiling water and knead with a fork. Add white food color based on your preference. Please note this food color leaves a light white residue on your palms ( like when you are kneading flour with your hands) The residue did not bother my child and it washes away immediately and doesn't stain. Recipe for [**Mango Playdough**](https://www.funlittles.com/mango-playdough-recipe/) on our original post.
**Materials**

- **[Liquid Watermelon Kool-Aid](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J8NGRES/?tag=blmemo-20) (or)**
- **[Watermelon JELL-O](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006311NS8/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Mango Drink Mix](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006UT0NRA/?tag=blmemo-20) (or)**
- **[Mango JELL-O](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007UGTH6A/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Pineapple Kool-Aid](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD792DM/?tag=blmemo-20) (or)**
- **[Pineapple JELL-O](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OK8Z6U/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **White Food Color**
- **[Plastic Baggies](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9JK8GU/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Liquid Watercolors](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042SWTUU/?tag=blmemo-20)**



Thanks for reading

Stop by our [**play dough category**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/play-doh/) for more play ideas

Nope, you want more play dough ideas? Sure we have a book for that too!