Cloud Dough

My first day back included an exciting activity ultimately meant for the people in the dementia unit of our building. We made "cloud dough" for them and will take it with us on our visit Sunday.

Recipe for cloud dough:
8 C flour
1 C baby oil (more if desired)

initials in the cloud dough

I used a large aluminum baking dish as a tray for 16 cups of the stuff.  I found two female residents who were brave enough to stick their hands in and mix it up so that it became soft but moldable. Meanwhile two male residents watched suspiciously, as if they could get dirty just watching or believing me when I told them how much fun I was having. Luckily it does not harden. After we play with it Sunday, I plan on keeping it for two events later in the month.

Cloud dough is highly addictive, consider yourself warned. The two residents and I found it difficult to stop playing with. While we pretended it wasn't ready, I talked to one of them in particular:
"You've probably worked with a lot of flour in your life."
"Sure have."
"You had over 30 foster children, you've probably used a lot of baby oil too."
"Sure have."
"Before today, did you ever hear of someone mixing the two?"
"No, never heard of anyone stupid enough to do that," meanwhile she was making biscuit sized balls and gleefully crushing them.
"Well, you are 94 years old. It's difficult for me to think of things you haven't done before."

Besides a nice sensory activity, it is a good hand exercise. Plus it smells fresh.