Salt Dough Shells: The Perfect Recipe for Making Memories!
A slow weekend craft that’s part recipe, part memory-making.
This weekend, why not make something that’s just as much about the process as the end result? Salt dough shells are one of our favourite slow-play activities, a gentle way to bring the beach indoors and let little hands explore texture, shape, and creativity.
Made with just three pantry staples, this simple dough becomes a canvas for imagination. Press in shells from your last seaside wander, create ocean creatures, or just enjoy the feeling of soft dough between fingers. No rules. Just play.
🐚 What You’ll Need
1 cup plain flour
½ cup salt
½ cup warm water (add slowly, you might not need it all)
Optional: a little natural food colouring or a drop of lavender oil for extra sensory appeal.
🌊 How to Make the Dough
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
Add water slowly, mixing with your hands until it becomes a soft, pliable dough.
Knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. If it’s sticky, add more flour; if it’s dry, a few drops of water.
Roll out or pinch off pieces of dough to create small discs or shapes.
Press in shells, sea glass, or any natural treasures to make imprints. You can also shape starfish, fish, or waves with fingers and simple tools.
Bake at a very low temperature (about 100°C / 210°F) for 2–3 hours, or leave out to air dry for a few days.
🎨 Optional: Paint & Keep
Once dry, you can leave them natural or paint them with water-based paints. A wash of soft blues and sandy golds makes them beautiful keepsakes, or add a magnet to the back for the fridge.
🌿 Why We Love It
Supports fine motor skills and hand strength
Encourages sensory exploration through texture and temperature
Promotes patience and process-based play
Offers a beautiful link to nature, memory, and mindful making
This is the kind of weekend rhythm we adore, unhurried, hands-on, and quietly full of meaning.
💬 What to Say While You Play
“Can you feel the lines on the shell?”
“What shapes do you see in the dough?”
“Let’s press it in gently and see what happens…”
“How does it feel…. Cold? Soft? Grainy?”
These gentle questions help build language, connection, and present-moment awareness, even in the tiniest players.
📷 Tip:
Capture a few photos of your shell dough creations on a wooden board or linen cloth with soft natural light, they make beautiful Instagram content or memory book moments.
And if you do snap a pic, don’t forget to tag us! @SweetSensoryPlay