Confession time: I didn’t really eat pumpkin pie as a child. 

I’m from the Deep South and, down here, we tend to eat more sweet potato pie than pumpkin. At least in my family. (I honestly don’t have enough space here to write about the wonders of sweet potato pie.)

After I became an adult, though, a good friend of mine made a pumpkin pie and I finally had a taste. 

It was delicious. 

So since we enjoyed making apple pie playdough earlier this fall, I thought this easy scented pumpkin pie playdough recipe would be a nice addition to our fall sensory activities!

This playdough feels and smells incredible, so it’s a simple way to give the kids some sensory play while adding a nice fall scent to your home or classroom.

If you’re studying pumpkins or harvest this year, this scented playdough is a wonderful play activity for your unit!

Get the full instructions and the printable recipe below!

And for more ways to have fun with playdough, stop by to read our roundup of edible playdough recipes you can make at home!

How to Make Easy Pumpkin Pie Playdough

To make this easy pumpkin pie playdough recipe, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see my Disclosure Policy.)

• flour
• salt
• pumpkin pie spice
• cream of tartar
• coconut oil
• food coloring
• pumpkin essence
• Playdough tools (optional)
• My Cinnamon Playdough Recipe

What I love about this playdough recipe is that it’s a reliable go-to activity. Once you make it, you’ll have a quick sensory activity you can whip up for the kids in just a few minutes.

Start by pouring warm water into a pot.

Then add a few drops of orange food coloring, coconut oil, and pumpkin essence.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cream of tartar.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the pot and stir well.

Heat the mixture on low and stir continuously, until the mixture starts to firm up.

When it pulls away from the sides of the pot, you’re done.

Knead the dough back and forth between your hands until it forms a smooth ball. (Little hands are great at doing this step!)

If you want to make the “piecrust”, whip up a batch of cinnamon playdough to use as the base.

It’s play time!

Give the kids a few playdough tools to flatten, cut, and shape their dough into a pie. 

They’ll play with this for hours and get some sensory practice too!

Scroll down to get your printable Pumpkin Pie Playdough Recipe!

Take a look at these other fun fall play ideas!

And follow my Fall Activities for Kids board on Pinterest for more ways to have fun during autumn!

Printable DIY Pumpkin Pie Playdough Recipe

Read the full pumpkin pie playdough recipe right here! You can also print it to use offline.

Print

Pumpkin Pie Playdough Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup salt
• 4 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• food coloring
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp pumpkin essence

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cream of tartar.

2. Mix the warm water, coconut oil, pumpkin essence, and a few drops of orange food coloring in a pot.

3. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pot, stirring well.

4. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously until it firms and pulls away from the sides of the pot.

5. Remove the dough from the heat and let cool until safe to touch.

6. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Store in an airtight container.