Let’s Make Mud Play Dough: Easy Coffee Playdough Recipe
This Coffee Playdough recipe is the perfect mud play dough for play inside no matter the weather. Coffee playdough acts just like real mud in its squishiness and ooey-ness, but unlike mud it smells amazing! Coffee homemade playdough is easy to make with a few simple ingredients and great for toddlers, preschoolers and older kids love to play with this sensory toy.
Mud Play Dough – Brown Playdough Recipe
Did you know there is an International Mud Day? Across the globe, countries celebrate International Mud Day on June 29. Whether you are celebrating Mud Day, need a fun indoor activity or just want a new playdough recipe, we have the solution for you today!
Related: Best homemade play dough recipe
Indoor mud play is a new concept for my family, but we thought it might be the perfect thing since sometimes it is too hot to go outside in Texas.
Coffee Play Dough Recipe
We made this brown playdough with coffee grounds that looks just like mud and smells heavenly!
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Ingredients Needed For Coffee PlayDough Recipe
- 2 Cups of Flour
- 1/2 Cup of Coffee Grounds
- 1 Tablespoon of Instant Coffee (when it wasn’t dark enough)
- 1 Cup of Salt
- 2 Teaspoons of Cream of Tartar (she called for more, but this stuff is hard to find, so I cut the amount by a third).
- 1 Cup of very hot water
- 2 Tablespoons of oil
- Glycerin Drops or Clear Glycerin Soap
How To Make Mud-Like Coffee Playdough
Step 1
If you are not using glycerin drops, shave a small amount of glycerin soap base and heat until it is melted. Let it cool to warm before adding.
Step 2
Mix flour, cream of tartar, salt, instant coffee, and coffee grounds together in one bowl.
Step 3
Add the hot water, the glycerin, and oil in.
Step 4
Mix well until you get a pasty consistency.
Step 5
Put in a container and add dinosaurs and other toys! Enjoy!
Glycerin Drops Vs. Glycerin Soap
Normally when we make this type of playdough, we use glycerin drops. We didn’t have any glycerin drops on hand, but I shaved a tiny piece off of a bar of glycerin soap and it worked well. Glycerin Soap bars are the clear or see-through kind. A little bit goes a long way.
How To Store Your Mud Coffee Playdough
The oil should keep your mud coffee playdough moist. However, you will probably want to keep this in an air tight container.
Not only will it help keep it wet and malleable, but it will help keep other stuff out like lint or hair and the such.
Mud-Like Coffee PlayDough
Play with this fun pretend mud inside your house without the mess! This easy to make mud-like coffee playdough is so fun.
Materials
- 2 Cups of Flour
- 1/2 Cup of Coffee Grounds
- 1 Tablespoon of Instant Coffee (when it wasn’t dark enough)
- 1 Cup of Salt
- 2 Teaspoons of Cream of Tartar (she called for more, but this stuff is hard to find, so I cut the amount by a third).
- 1 Cup of very hot water
- 2 Tablespoons of oil
- Glycerin Drops or Clear Glycerin Soap
Instructions
If you are not using glycerin drops, shave a small amount of glycerin soap base and heat until it is melted. Let it cool to warm before adding.
Mix flour, cream of tartar, salt, instant coffee, and coffee grounds together in one bowl.
Add the hot water, the glycerin, and oil in.
Mix well until you get a pasty consistency.
Put in a container and add dinosaurs and other toys! Enjoy!
Notes
The oil should keep your mud coffee playdough moist. However, you will probably want to keep this in an air tight container. Not only will it help keep it wet and malleable, but it will help keep other stuff out like lint or hair and the such.
More Playdough Recipes From Kids Activities Blog
- Our favorite edible playdough recipe ideas
- Kool Aid Playdough is easy & fun to make
- Peanut butter playdough is aweesome
- Homemade glitter playdough can’t be beat
- Playdough ice cream is the first step to your own ice cream shop
- Our favorite no cook playdough recipe
- Make your own play doh animals
- This gingerbread playdough recipe or Christmas playdough is perfect for the holidays
- Make your own play dough sets with these DIY playdough toys
- Let’s make some fall playdough recipes like our pumpkin pie playdough
- Make shiny playdough or bedtime playdough
- And one of my favorite homemade playdoughs is Peeps playdough!
- Grab one of these fun playdough mats for learning and play
- We have over 30 playdough recipes and playdough activities for you to choose from!
Have you made this coffee playdough yet? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!
Brilliant! I love coffee 🙂
Hi Rachel, this looks really great to do. Living in italy there is no lack on coffee! Love it. Angelique
This is just total EXTREME genius!!! I am def trying this! For the smell alone it would be worth it! Thanks for sharing your awesome ideas!
Thanks for the great recipe and photos! Will definitely try this out!
What a very cool recipe!
I can relate! We are also in Texas and we also have forgiving neighbors in the morning (so far). Awesome idea, and I will be checking in again for the mud ideas.
Wow! Your recipe is much, much better than mine! I actually tried my own coffee playdough this week as well! I’m going to post about it next week.. If you don’t mind, I would like to link your post!:)
But of course! Come back and tell me about your post and I’ll feature it for you 🙂
Awesome job! I must make this next time my husband makes some coffee!!!
Please link up over here if you get a chance!
http://michellescharmworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/national-mud-day-fun.html
The heat and humidity here too is not encouraging outdoor play. This recipe for mud play dough sounds so cool. We have to, have to try 🙂 Thank you for sharing !
Hey, Rachel! I just finished my post were I tagged you. 🙂 Check it out!
http://www.gettingmessywithmsjessi.com/2011/07/indoor-camping-fun.html
Around here, March should be called “mud month.” (Definitely not June!) Anyway, this looks like a fun idea! We’re going to make some biome dioramas soon and this recipe will be great for our forest floor, etc. I might start craving coffee though…
Thanks for the great idea!
My kids would love this. I agree it’s too hot to be outside for mud day.
I’m glad I saw this before I clean the coffee pot. I usually dump them in the garden. My son will defininitely enjoy some of this.
Via Sugar and Dots
This is really cool! My son is looking at this with me and he wants to make it! I just happen to have all of those ingredients, so we’re looking forward to doing this soon!
Mandi
boredombustingmommy.blogspot.com
I hear ya! We live in Houston, and the only time we play outside is late in the evening with tons of bug spray. Occasionally Nick convinces me to go sweat to the oldies while he plays outside during the dreadful heat. The only outdoor activity that I’m down with during the summer days, is swimming!
I love coffee, if you couldn’t tell by my blog name, and this is awesome! I think I’ll save my coffee grinds from yesterday and tomorrow to make this. Nick loves play doh, and so do I.. so how much fun. Plus, it’ll be like a little pick me up if I need it. Do you have anymore awesome play doh recipes? Could you pretty much add anything in place of the coffee? [Well, with similar properties I guess].
Okay I babbled waaay too long! I get a little excited to see other Texans in blog land. Have a great morning!
can i subscribe to email update posts?
luv your site, great ideas to entertain my 2 yr old granddaughter.
thank you.
Lesa
Oh my, what fab playdough! it looks fab and is perfect for mud sculptures. Love it! Bet it smells nice too!
Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
I guess here in NC it would be clay day! 🙂 That looks like a lot of fun. I like how you incorporated it with the special day. It’s fun to celebrate those interesting holidays. I like ice cream day! =D Thank you for linking up to Give Back Thursday
What an awesome idea! My daughter would love this!
Brilliant! What a fab idea!
I love coffee. I have to try this! x
Isn’t this amazing. As a preschool teacher I make this with the kids on the Monday that starts sensory week.. What better way to kick of a Monday morning!!! The next week of our curriculum is all @ dinosaurs–We play with the dinosaurs with this and then make fossils–use mini dinosaurs and press them sideways–let them dry for a few days and you will see the imprint!
This is super! Can’t wait to try it out with my little ones. Thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday!
What a fun idea! I am definitely going to save this recipe and make it for my son. I would love it if you would stop by the crafty link party I just started at http://linesacrossmyface.blogspot.com and link up this post.
🙂 Rachel
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The kids will love this! Thanks for sharing!
Great idea! We did this-this morning and the kids have been creating habitats all morning. Smells nice too:) I used it to let her create “diversity” project for science as well. Going to grow some mosses here soon … Should prove fun to combine.
Omg this is so cool how did you find to do this it is so cool love u 🙂 well done
Keep up the good work
🙂 🙂 🙂
So if the children happen to eat it, they will get their daily caffeine buzz right? Any other ideas fir colouring?
obviously like your website however you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts.
A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to tell the
reality then again I will definitely come again again.
Thanks for sharing this! All the best!
You are so welcome, Cole! Enjoy!