Crayola Dough vs Play-Doh – Detailed Comparison

One of the easiest ways to keep little hands and minds busy is to supply them with a tub of colorful play dough. Play dough has been around for generations, providing children of all ages with hours of creative fun.

Two popular brands in this category are Crayola Dough vs Play-Doh. Are they the same thing? Is one better than the other? Read on to find out!

Crayola Dough vs Play-Doh – Differences and Similarities

What do Crayola Dough and Play-Doh have in common? Are there any features that differentiate these two products from each other? Let’s compare them by answering the most commonly asked questions.

How to Dry Play-Doh and Crayola Dough

Ideally, you shouldn’t dry these products. They’re designed to be continuously used over and over again. Drying play dough causes it to crack. If you’re determined to immortalize your little one’s creation, Play-Doh can be baked in an oven for 5 minutes at 200°F. This is an article I wrote up on the procedure.

Crayola advises against trying to dry their product since it’s designed to be remolded and re-used. If you want to keep creations rather use Crayola modeling clay which is specifically designed for baking and painting.

Pliability of Crayola Dough and Play-Doh

Play-Doh is extremely pliable and can be easily shaped and molded by the smallest hands. Crayola Dough on the other hand is stiffer and can be difficult for smaller children to mold and get used to.

How Many Colors Does Crayola Dough and Play-Doh Have?

Crayola dough can come in a pack of 100 pieces made up of 8 classic and funky colors. These are red, orange, pink, blue, yellow, green purple, blue, black, brown, white, and gray.

On the other hand, Play-Doh comes in 50 different colors. Aside from the normal shades, there are also variants such as blue lagoon, garden green, rose red and purple paradise.

How Easy is Crayola Dough and Play-Doh to Clean?

Crayola Dough and Play-Doh can easily be cleaned by following these simple steps:

• Place a warm wet cloth over the play dough for approximately an hour
• Once the dough is rehydrated, simply brush off any debris or dirt
• Store the cleaned dough in an air-tight container

Tools to Use for Sculpting Crayola Dough and Play-Doh

Sculpting play dough can be more entertaining with the right tools. The Creativity Street Dough Tools consists of 5 pieces made of durable and easy-to-clean plastic. Each tool has a different pattern to shape, cut, and mold the dough into different designs.

The Crayola Model Magic Shape N Cut Tools set includes a rolling pin, play mat, 1 circle cutter, and a sculpting tool. These fun and colorful tools allow your children to stamp, roll and cut different shapes to make just about any little masterpiece. A resealable pouch easily stores your tools and remaining dough. A perfect gift for any little person who loves to create and mold all day long!

Advantages and Disadvantages of Crayola Dough and Play-Doh

Aside from providing hours of fun, here are a few more advantages of playing with play dough:

• Has a calming effect on children
• Facilitates hand-eye coordination
• Encourages playtime
• Enhances fine motor skills
• Encourages creativity

I’ve added a short clip to show you how easy it is to use either of these play dough brands to facilitate learning with your little one!

The only real downside to either of these products is the high sodium content which may be harmful to pets if ingested. Teach your children to play in an area away from their pets. Also, teach the little ones to not eat or lick the play dough. Clean the dough regularly so that there’s no risk of bacteria build-up.

How to Store Play-Doh and Crayola Dough

If let out in the open, both of these products can harden and crack. It’s best to store it in an airtight container immediately after your little one has stopped playing with it. Store any dough tools with the playdough to avoid upset little ones when it’s time to play and create!

What Does Play-Doh and Crayola Dough Smell Like?

These two compounds have very distinct fragrances. Play-Doh has a sweet, vanilla-like fragrance with a hint of salt and wheat-based dough. Crayola Dough, however, has a stronger, more industrial smell. Some parents prefer Play-Doh simply because the fragrant smell is easier to tolerate.

Ingredients Inside Crayola Dough and Play-Doh

Crayola Dough is the only one of Crayola’s craft range to contain wheat flour as a base. While Crayola cites “proprietary reasons” for not disclosing their exact ingredients, they assure consumers that their products are allergen-free and non-toxic.

Play-Doh on the other hand is primarily made of salt, water and flour. Other ingredients include lubricant, hardener, fragrance, and color.

When it comes to the most popular Crayola Dough product, the Crayola Model Magic Deluxe Craft pack is on the top. Safe and non-toxic, this product is lightweight and easy to use for little ones learning to mold and sculpt. A variety of colors ensures your children will have plenty of opportunities to explore their creativity!

Play-Doh has an equally popular product. The Play-Doh Modeling Compound 24-Pack provides 24 bright colors in 3-ounce cans. This new version of a traditional favorite guarantees children hours of fun and no limit to their creativity. With the variety of colors, there’s no limit to the creations they can make!

Final Thoughts

When it comes down to the question Crayola Dough vs Play-Doh, it’s important to consider that Play-Doh has a more pleasant fragrance and might be gentler on little hands. Both products are colorful and can be easily stored. Whether you choose the traditional Play-Doh or the more modern Crayola Dough, your children are guaranteed to have hours of fun with either product. My daughter likes mostly Play-Doh. What about yours?

If you were interested in reading this article until the end, you might want to read my other related articles, such as Play-Doh vs Plasticine comparison or Softee Dough versus Play-Doh comparison. And have you heard about the differences between Play-Doh and Plus yet?