Homemade Cinnamon Vanilla Play Dough

Love play dough recipes that feel soft AND smell good? This cinnamon vanilla scented play dough is perfect for both fall and Christmas, and it will last for months if when properly stored!

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Is there anything more satisfying to play with than homemade play dough?

How about homemade play dough that also smells amazing?!

We are no strangers to making our own play dough. In fact, it seems like every other week that we experiment with a new recipe. But our favorites are always the ones that smell the best.

There are lots of things you can add to play dough to make it smell good. Our go-to scented play dough recipe is probably Jell-O Play Dough, which has vibrant colors and a fruity scent.

But with autumn just around the corner, we wanted to try something different. And what says autumn like the sweet scent of cinnamon and vanilla?

Not only is this fall-scented play dough appropriate for the autumn months, but it is also perfect for Christmas. I don’t know about you, but I do a lot of baking during the holidays and the smell of cinnamon definitely reminds me of Christmas.

So if you’re looking for a fall sensory activity that will engage your child’s senses, this lovely cinnamon- and vanilla-scented play dough is definitely worth a try!

Required Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make a batch of cinnamon vanilla dough for your kids:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (optionally baked on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes at 350°F if you need the recipe to be taste-safe)
• ¾ cup table salt (we buy ours in packs of three at Costco)
• 4 tsp cream of tartar (if you’re going to be making lots of homemade play dough, I recommend buying this item in bulk—it lasts forever and you’re sure to go through a lot of it!)
• 2 tbsp cinnamon (you can also use pumpkin spice for a more nuanced, fall-themed scent)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (real or artificial)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

How to Make Fall-Scented Cinnamon Play Dough (Step-by-Step)

1. Combine Dry Ingredients

Start by combining the flour, salt, cream of tartar and cinnamon in a medium wok or saucepan. You’ll be doing the cooking in this saucepan, so make sure it’s big enough to accommodate the wet ingredients as well.

2. Add Water, Oil & Vanilla

Add the water, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.

3. Cook Play Dough

Turn on the element on medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a ball of dough that no longer sticks to the pot or wok. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

4. Knead Play Dough

Remove the dough from the pot or wok and set it aside to cool.

Once it’s cool enough to touch, knead the dough with your hands until it feels stretchy and smooth. Then, give the play dough to your child to play with!

This play dough feels SUPER soft and is really easy to flatten with a rolling pin. We took out some cookie cutters and used them to make cinnamon-scented “cookies” to play with.

Plus, if stored properly, this fall play dough will stay soft for months!

How to Store Cinnamon Spice Play Dough

To ensure that your play dough lasts as long as possible, I recommend that you store it in a sealed freezer bag with all the air removed. When stored this way, the dough should stay super soft and stretchy for several months.

Related Scented Play Dough Recipes

Do you love play dough recipes that smell great? Check out these articles:

• Chocolate Play Dough
• Jell-O Play Dough
• Rose Petal Play Dough

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