Keep little hands creative with this no-cook play dough

The holidays are fast approaching, which means it's time to arm yourself with a few creative afternoon fillers.

An absolute fail safe way to engage and excite little ones, play dough is a brilliant sensory and fine motor tool that is ridiculously easy to make.

Sure, you can go and buy the stuff in any good toy shop, but what about getting the kids to make the material they're about to play with? What fun!

By making it yourself you know exactly what has gone into it and can also customise it by adding colour, sparkles and even natural flavours or essential oils.

It's quick to make, you only need a few pantry staples, and it's a perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon inside.

Little hands can play with the results straightaway, so there's immediate gratification for all involved.

How to make one coloured ball

To make your play dough you will need about 10 minutes (unless you have lots of small kids), plus plenty extra for play time!

You will need 8 tbsp of plain flour; 2 tbsp table salt; 60ml warm water; few drops of food colouring; 1 tbsp vegetable oil. The follow these simple steps.

1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the water, a few drops of food colouring and the oil.
2. Pour the coloured water into the flour mix and bring together with a spoon.
3. Dust a work surface with a little flour and turn out the dough. Knead together for a few minutes to form a smooth, pliable dough. If you want a more intense colour you can work in a few extra drops of food colouring.
4. Store in a plastic sandwich bag (squeeze out the air) in the fridge to keep it fresh. You can make a batch of colours.

The benefits of working with play dough for little children are wonderful and the play possibilities are endless.

Give it a go and let the kids explore their creative side.