Coloured Cloud Dough – How to Colour Cloud Dough for Sensory Play
How to make coloured cloud dough with 3 easy ingredients.
We’ve done it! We’ve successfully made a batch of vibrantly coloured cloud dough! If you’ve never heard of it before, you can find out how amazing cloud dough is here, in an article I wrote a couple of years ago.
If you are familiar with cloud dough, you know how heavenly it is to run your hands through a bin of the stuff. It smells so good, it feels just amazing, and it looks so… umm… pale and pasty. Am I right? How can something so awesome look so boring?
Every time we play with it I can’t help thinking that it needs a big punch of colour, and then it would be just perfect.
I’ve been unsure about how to colour it though because cloud dough is oil based, and food colouring is water based and the two don’t mix. The oil in the dough resists the food colouring in the water, and you end up with a very pale, speckled dough at best.
I put my thinking cap on the other day however, and the hooligans and I experimented. We did quite a bit of experimenting actually until we found something that worked! Check out how VIBRANT our this cloud dough turned out!
So, you want to know how to colour cloud dough?
Well, first let me tell you how NOT to colour cloud dough.
#1 Do NOT add 2 packets of Cherry Coloured Kool-Aid Packets. Your dough will not turn red. Your dough will not smell like cherries. Try it if you don’t believe me, but really, you should just take my word for it. It’s a waste of time, and those two packets of Kool-Aid would be put to much better use making a batch of homemade playdough.
#2 Do NOT add a box of Cherry Jell-O Crystals. Once again, no colour, no scent – I think the oil must trap and smother the life out of the scent molecules (listen to me thinking I’m a scientist – I’m not. I just know the Cherry Jello-O was also a bust). Bummer.
So, after two failed attempts, I was feeling rather discouraged that we were still staring into a bowl of white cloud dough, and then it hit me…
Want to know what we use to make our coloured cloud dough?
Tempera paint powder! YEP! That’s how you’re going to colour your cloud dough! You’re just going to add a big ol’ spoonful of Tempera Paint powder to it. Yay!
Ok, here’s your coloured cloud dough recipe from start to finish:
For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links.
In a large bowl or container, stir your oil and flour together well. A pastry cutter or a potato masher work well to get everything really well blended into a smooth, crumbly powder.
Add a heaping tablespoon of Tempera Paint Powder . 
Continue to mash and blend until the colour is completely mixed into the dough.
Add some scoops, cups, moulds and play dough toys to your gorgeous bin of coloured cloud dough, and you’re ready for play!
Want a cloud dough recipe that doesn’t contain baby oil?
Get our toddler-safe, non-toxic cloud dough recipe here. No baby oil means its perfect for little ones who may still be tempted to taste while they’re playing.
*Cloud dough can be messy. I personally advise playing with it outside. If you’re playing indoors, I would suggest placing a plastic tablecloth or drop cloth on the floor to make clean up easy.
*Although we’ve never had any problems with staining, you might want to protect your child’s clothing with a smock or apron.
More fun activities for toddlers and preschoolers:
GIANT Homemade Bubble Recipe
Dino Dig – Melting Ice with Salt and Water
Easy, Homemade Water Wall
2-Ingredient Clean Mud
Fairy Mud
Garden Soup
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
