20 of the best salt dough ideas for kids

Ready for some fun salt dough ideas for kids that you can get started on right away? The great thing about salt dough projects is that you have everything you need to get started right in your pantry. It's true! The most basic salt dough recipes just use salt, flour, and water, and those are ingredients nearly everyone has on hand. Sure, you'll want to add some colour to the dough, but it's not completely necessary. And if you don't have paint, you could always colour the salt dough with food colouring for lighter colours or markers once the mixture is completely dried.

Salt dough ideas





Salt dough crafts are so versatile that once you master a salt dough recipe or two, you can whip it up to make something crafty for any holiday or occasion. Pick a couple of your favourite salt dough ideas from the list below, and get started on some crafts with your kids today.

Salt Dough Ideas for Kids


salt dough craft ideas for kids

Here are some favourite salt dough ideas that we've made over the years. These are salt dough projects that you can make any time during the year, but if you're finding this post during the holidays, you definitely don't want to miss our Christmas salt dough ornaments as well as some of our other salt dough crafts.


Salt Dough Handprint Bowl Keepsake

This Salt Dough Handprint Bowl is one of my favourite salt dough projects because it's perfect for so many occasions: Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas, birthdays, or just an "I love you" gift from the kiddos. Use the bowls to keep jewellery, cufflinks, or keys. It'll be a cute reminder of those little handprints that you'll enjoy for years to come.

Salt dough ideas - handprint dish craft



Salt Dough Handprint Photo Frame


This Salt Dough Handprint Frame is another salt dough idea that is perfect to make as a homemade gift for any occasion. How adorable to have a handprint and photograph in one!


Salt dough ideas - handprint frame craft


Fingerprint Butterfly Magnets

Perfect for spring and summer, these Salt Dough Fingerprint Butterfly Magnets are made using an easy salt dough recipe that you can make again and again to create your own keepsakes. Won't your fridge look beautiful with a few of these fingerprint butterflies added to your collection?

Salt dough ideas - butterfly fingerprint magnet craft


Fingerprint Ladybird/Ladybug Magnets

Did you know that ladybugs are considered good luck? Make some of these super cute Salt Dough Fingerprint Ladybird Magnets with your kids this spring or summer. It's a fun activity to add to a bug-themed unit study, but you can also make them just for fun.

Salt dough ideas - ladybug fingerprint magnet craft

Thumbprint Salt Dough Magnets

Yes, you see a theme here. We love making magnets! These Thumbprint Salt Dough Magnets are an adorable reminder that you are loved. You'll smile every time you look at them!

Salt dough ideas - thumbprint magnet craft

Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils

Team up with your favourite little archaeologist to make some fascinating Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils with the dinosaur toys you have on hand. If you don't have any dinosaur toys yet, you can get them very cheaply online or in discount stores.

Salt dough ideas - dinosaur fossil craft

Salt Dough Family Handprint Craft

Get the whole family involved and create a salt dough family handprint plaque! This is definitely a salt dough keepsake you will want to treasure forever!

salt dough family handprint craft


How to Make Coloured Salt Dough

Learn How to Make Coloured Salt Dough with our quick and easy recipe. This is perfect for simple projects where you don't want to have to paint the salt dough. It's excellent for making salt dough flowers, stockings, etc. Make the colours bolder or lighter by varying the amount of paint added to the dough.

Fun and easy salt dough ideas for kids


Easy and Fun Salt Dough Ideas


And here are some of our favourite salt dough ideas from other bloggers around the web. You're going to love all these creative projects!

Salt Dough Starfish 

Any little mermaid fan or beach lover will have a blast making these Salt Dough Starfish by Crafting Chicks. Even adults will love them and can add them to beach-themed decor, like photo frames or decorative shelves.

Salt dough ideas - star fish craft

Flower Salt Dough Necklaces

Perfect for Mother's Day or anytime you'd like to sport a pretty necklace, these Flower Salt Dough Necklaces by Natural Beach Living are sure to add some cheer to your day.

Salt dough ideas - flower necklace craft


Salt Dough Flower Magnets 

Here's another option that's great for springtime and Mother's Day: Salt Dough Flower Magnets by The Best Ideas for Kids. Grandmas will love them, too. Who could resist a flower magnet with your little one's adorable face in the centre?

Salt dough ideas - flower photo magnet craft

Salt Dough Dinosaur Bones

These Salt Dough Dinosaur Bones by Simple Everyday Mom are another fun take on the dinosaur fossils. These "bones" can be added to a sensory bin full of sand or dirt to be brushed off and cleaned by your little excavators.

Salt dough ideas - dinosaur bones craft

Handprint Lorax

This Handprint Lorax from Jinxy Kids is great for those times you need your salt dough project to dry quickly to get it finished on time. This one hardens and dries in the microwave! And The Lorax is such a fun book and movie for little kids, so this activity is the perfect craft to accompany either of those.

Salt dough ideas - handprint lorax craft

Thing 1 Salt Dough Handprint

Following the Dr. Seuss theme, this Thing 1 Salt Dough Handprint from Simply Today Life is so bright and fun. It's based on one of our favourite Seussian characters (or two of them, really). This would be a fun activity for Read Across America Day or as a creative extension after reading The Cat in the Hat.

Salt dough ideas - Thing 1 handprint craft

Salt Dough Layers of the Earth Model

When kids first learn about the layers of the earth, it can seem a little abstract. However, this activity making a Salt Dough Layers of the Earth Model by Rainy Day Mum can help kids better visualise what that looks like. It's a fun project for the classroom or at home.

Salt dough ideas - layers of the earth craft

Salt Dough Rainbow Fish

Make these Salt Dough Rainbow Fish by Artsy Momma to accompany the cute and popular Rainbow Fish book for kids. You can turn these into ornaments or as part of an ocean animal unit.

Salt dough ideas - rainbow fish craft

Rainbow Salt Dough Leaves

Whip up a bunch of Rainbow Salt Dough Leaves by Hello, Wonderful to kick off the Autumn season. You can use real or faux leaves to make the imprints before you cut the dough and paint the leaves.

Salt dough ideas - leaf craft

Peas in a Pod Pendants

How cute are these Peas in a Pod Pendants by Red Ted Art? They'll look adorable on a cord or chain to make matching necklaces.

Salt dough ideas - peas in a pod pendant craft

Microwave Salt Dough Trucks

Here's another salt dough recipe for Microwave Salt Dough Trucks from Gluesticks that can be dried and hardened in the microwave. Kids will love playing with these cute salt dough trucks. They'll make pretty ornaments if you make them near Christmastime, too. Just add an evergreen sprig on the truck bed, and it'll look like a truck toting a Christmas tree.

Salt dough ideas - truck craft

Dad Rocks Paperweight

Dad deserves a handmade gift now and then. How about a Dad Rocks Paperweight from Crafts by Amanda to add to his desk at home or at the office? It's a great gift for birthdays, Father's Day, or Christmas.

Salt dough ideas - dad rocks craft

Salt Dough Shell Pendants

If you have some seashells that you've been saving from your vacations, use a few to make these Salt Dough Shell Pendants by Red Ted Art. You can also buy shells in most craft stores if you don't have any. These are fun reminders of memories made during your holidays.

Salt dough ideas - shell pendants craft

Earth Salt Dough Necklaces

Make these Earth Day Salt Dough Necklaces by Natural Beach Living in April on Earth Day or when you cover pollution, recycling, and taking care of the earth with your kids. Any time is a good reminder to care for our planet, and kids will enjoy wearing these all year long. Wouldn't these make fun classroom "medals" for kids who bring in cans for recycling or volunteer for community cleanup?

Salt dough ideas - earth day craft


Now you have plenty of salt dough ideas to carry you through the year. Which salt dough craft will you make first? There are so many fun salt dough projects to choose from it's hard to decide!

Easy salt dough craft ideas for kids

Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube or Subscribe for free email updates!

No comments

Back to Top