gluten-free play-doh for playtime

When I first found out that Amy had celiac disease I thought it would only affect her mealtimes.  I didn’t realize that it would affect her playtime too.  The most obvious way it affected her activities is with Play-Doh.  Originally I felt that Play-Doh would not be an issue.  Who eats Play-Doh, right?  But then one day I watched her make Play-Doh ice cream cones with a friend.  Her friend was pretty tactful about it.  She waited until I looked away before she tried to take a lick of her bright orange Play-Doh ice cream.  But when I turned back I saw her guilty expression and I guessed what had happened (the fact that the ice cream cone was centimeters from her mouth pretty much gave it away).  So kids do eat Play-Doh I thought.  I guess it’s time to find a gluten-free alternative.

But it didn’t stop at Play-Doh.  My daughter’s preschool is blessed with one of the best teachers around (that’s why I chose it).  What I didn’t know at the time was that her specialty was…you guessed it…baking.  She loved to bake with the kids.  You should have seen the expression on her face when I told her that Amy couldn’t be involved in baking activities with wheat flour.  She was clearly kicking herself for allowing us into her preschool.  But what was I supposed to do?  I provided her with recipes throughout the year.  I gave her some cake recipes, a doughnut recipe, and a cookie recipe.  But I was also new to gluten-free baking and the recipes I gave her didn’t always work out.  What mothers of celiacs really need are recipes that kids can manipulate, like cookies that can be cut into shapes. (Anyone have a recipe like that?)

By the end of the year the teacher was back to baking with her own recipes.  She would bake with the kids on the days Amy didn’t go to preschool.  Or she would include Amy in baking activities, but she would make it clear that Amy was making the cookies for her brother or her mommy.  In truth Amy always took it with a smile.  She was growing used to not being able to eat what other kids could.  Sometimes three year olds accept things quicker than their mommies.

The Play-Doh issue was easier and less painful to work out.  Here is the classic gluten-free play-doh recipe.  It still looks inedible to me, but I suppose when it is a bright orange ice cream cone it can be appealing to some three year olds.

½ cup cornstarch

½ cup rice flour

½ cup salt

1 cup water

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon oil

food coloring

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients.  Cook and stir on a low flame for 3 minutes or until the mixture forms a ball.

Cool completely before storing in a plastic bag with a seal.