How To Make Cloud Dough With Lotion (No Cook and Easy)
Cloud dough is soft, fun, and perfect for kids. Our family loves exploring this delightful sensory material that doesn’t require any cooking. Learn how you can make this simple cloud playdough recipe with only 2 basic ingredients in a few minutes.
Disclosure: We only recommend products we would use ourselves and all opinions expressed are our own. This post may contain affiliate links when clicked, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read our full privacy policy.
We are fans of all sorts of sensory play for kids. From traditional Oobleck to slow cooker playdough, our children love to keep their hands busy.
What is cloud dough?
Cloud dough is a term used to describe super soft homemade playdough. You can make this sensory activity with conditioner or lotion. Our recipe below will show you how to use lotion and cornstarch to make your dough.
Little hands can easily manipulate, squeeze, and sculpt this soft playdough recipe. Sometimes, other people may refer to this 2-ingredient dough as “moon dough”.
Difference Between Cloud Dough and Playdough
While some homemade playdough recipes can be soft and stretchy, this typically is not as stiff as traditional playdough.
Recommended Supplies
- Bowls For Mixing
- 2 cups Cornstarch
- 1 Cup Lotion: We have found that unscented lotion works best, but you can use whatever lotion you have on hand)
- Optional: Gel Or Regular Food Coloring
How To Make Cloud Dough
Note: You can easily modify the amount of materials used to make less or more. The amounts listed below made plenty for both kids to play with and to make different colors.
Step 1: Add Lotion To Mixing Bowl
Add 1 cup lotion or baby lotion to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Make sure you choose the proper lotion for your child. If they have sensitive skin, I would use a lotion that you know will work for them.
Step 2: Mix In Cornstarch
Slowly add 2 cups of cornstarch to the mixing bowl.
Keep Mixing
After a minute you should be able to start to knead the ingredients together.
The dough should be moldable and feel like a softer homemade playdough. It also should not be sticking to your hands.
Optional Step: Add Food Coloring
If you want different colors split your total amount of dough up into smaller mixing bowls. You can add a few drops of food coloring.
Cloud Dough Tips
- If you are having trouble with a sticky mess, use the back of the spoon to push this playdough back together.
- If it is too wet, add additional cornstarch to get a good mix.
- If your cloud dough is too dry, add a 1/2 teaspoon of lotion at a time. Knead in between to get your desired consistency.
Color Adding Tips
- You can add regular food coloring to the lotion before adding the cornstarch. This helps eliminate having dyed hands.
- You could also put small amounts of cloud dough in plastic bags and then add color. Your children will love mixing colors with this no-mess idea.
- When mixing the colors, use the back of the spoon at first and not your hands.
Safety: Cloud Dough is generally safe, but is not meant to be consumed. Please monitor children to make sure they are not placing this in their mouths.
FAQs About Cloud Dough
Yes, by mixing the cloud dough first you can add different food coloring drops. To get the tie-dye effect you won’t mix the color in completely. If you overmix it, your colors will just blend together. Just note that after a while of playing with the dough, the colors will mix together.
It can last for a few days in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. We were able to continue to play with ours for about 4 days after.
We have seen how-tos where they use hair conditioners in place of lotion.
Your cloud dough has too much cornstarch. Add 1/2 teaspoon of lotion and knead into the mixture until you have a moldable consistency.
Follow us on Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook & Flipboard for more free art and craft ideas!
More Sensory Play Activities
- How To Make Oobleck Without Cornstarch
- 6 Clay Animal Sculpture Ideas For Kids
- Fun Food Sculpture Art Project: Uses our favorite no-mess material.
Let us know how your homemade silky cloud dough-making went! We would love to see the sensory play in action.
Do you like this art project? Please give us 5 stars below 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 and have fun being creative with your family.
Cloud Dough With Lotion Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 2 Small Bowls optional if making extra colors
Supplies
- 2 cups Cornstarch
- 1 cup Lotion unscented works best
- Food Coloring optional: gel food coloring will give the most vibrant colors
Instructions
- Add the lotion to the bowl.
- Optional: Add a few drops lotion to the bowl.
- Slowly add cornstartch to mixture.
- Use a spoon first to mix together and then your hands to knead the materials together.
- Add small amounts of lotion or cornstarch to get your desired consistency. After 1 minute, you should have a soft playdough to work with.
Notes
-
- If you are having trouble with a sticky mess, use the back of the spoon to push this playdough back together.
- If it is too wet, add additional cornstarch to get a good mix.
- You can add regular food coloring to the lotion before adding the cornstarch.
- Cloud dough can also be made with conditioner instead of lotion.