Homemade Play dough

There's something special about homemade play dough. Maybe my feeling stems from my childhood when Grandma would throw together some flour and water and we'd have an afternoon of fun.
When my four year old asked if he could play with play dough, I invited him to his kitchen step stool so we could make some. He loved stirring the mixture as I added the necessary ingredients to the big pot. To make it even more fun, I added aroma... pumpkin pie spice and a dash of nutmeg... mmmmm!
Together we watched and stirred, our arms getting tired, as the clumpy "mess" turned into a soft smooth dough. We turned it out of the pot onto the counter to knead it while it was still warm. I don't know which part was more fun, creating the dough with my "big boy," or helping him roll out and cut the dough with cookie cutters.
Yes, there's a bit of educational value (I look for it in everything!) to him using his small motor skills to measure, stir, roll and cut. But I think the bigger picture here was the time I spent with my little man making memories that will last a lifetime!
And for the practical side... here's my recipe!

Homemade Play dough
2 Cups flour
2 Cups water
1 Cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring (optional)
Spices (optional... I usually add this to my flour first)
Mix in a pot on the stove over low heat until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides. Knead. Have fun!