Unicorn Play Dough Recipe (with Only 2 Ingredients!)

Make ✨magical unicorn play dough✨ with just two simple (and edible) ingredients! This homemade dough is perfect for sensory fun, a unicorn birthday party, or a magical preschool theme.

A side-by-side image: the left side shows ingredients including a bag of powdered sugar, a container of Pillsbury Unicorn Funfetti frosting, and a red stand mixer. The right side shows a white unicorn play dough recipe sprinkled with colorful unicorn-themed sprinkles on a purple surface.

Unicorn play dough is magical sensory experience

While traditional play dough is simple to make, unicorn play dough only uses two ingredients which is the least amount of ingredients possible for a dough.

It’s just two things! Two is basically zero! It’s as simple as it gets.

This recipe is simple enough for toddlers who still might be trying to sneak a bite of dough here and there to enjoy, and versatile enough to charm older kids.

A view of kids pressing and shaping white unicorn play dough recipe with cookie cutters and rolling pins on a purple crafting mat, showing playful engagement with colorful sprinkled dough.

Why unicorn play dough is the best

The first time I had ever seen frosting dough was when one of my college students made it and brought it to class. (In that course, all of my students had to bring a homemade dough during the semester and it was basically the best night ever.)

It was love at first sight.

Once you make it, you’ll be hooked. It looks, fells, and smells amazing.

✨ We love frosting dough and have made it for a bunch of other themes:

A clear plastic container of Pillsbury Unicorn Funfetti vanilla frosting with a pink label decorated with colorful sprinkles and a unicorn illustration. The container sits on a white countertop, with a red kitchen mixer visible in the background.

Materials

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You’ll need:

1 container of frosting
Powdered sugar – enough to refill the frosting container twice
Mixer or mixing bowl and spoon
Play dough tools: rolling pins, cookie cutters, and molds

Two young childre stand at a kitchen counter in front of a red stand mixer filled with dough. One child eagerly tastes the unicorn play dough recipe, while the other watches, with a cozy and playful kitchen scene in the background. — Letting kids have a small taste or two as you go takes away the temptation of eating a hunk of the dough.

How to make unicorn play dough

Scoop one full container of frosting into a mixing bowl.
Use the empty frosting container to measure two containers’ worth of powdered sugar.
Add the powdered sugar to the frosting.
Mix well until the dough forms and is no longer sticky.

💡 Teacher tip: If the dough feels too sticky, add more powdered sugar. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but it’s like flour to regular dough and helps to soak up the stickiness.

A close-up view of a small container filled with colorful unicorn-themed sprinkles, including shapes like hearts, stars, and other fun designs in bright colors like pink, purple, yellow, and blue, sitting against a purple background.

Adapting for all ages

Unicorn play dough is a crowd-pleaser for kids of all ages, making it the perfect activity for families or classrooms with mixed age groups.

For toddlers, focus on sensory exploration. Let them squish, squeeze, and poke the dough without any tools. This open-ended play allows them to build fine motor skills and explore textures in a safe, fun way.

Preschoolers may enjoy using simple tools like cookie cutters or rolling pins to create shapes. Encourage them to make “cookies” or “cupcakes” and spark their imaginations with prompts like, “What kind of treat would a unicorn bake?”

Older kids and tweens can take it to the next level by crafting intricate sculptures or competing in challenges. Who can make the best unicorn horn? Who can build a unicorn body?

A hand holding a large, soft, white ball of dough freshly mixed in a silver mixing bowl, with a red stand mixer and a child’s hand reaching towards the dough in the background.

How to incorporate into a unicorn birthday party or mythical preschool theme

Unicorn play dough is the perfect addition to any unicorn-themed celebration!

Set up a “magical dough station” where kids can create their own play dough masterpieces. Provide unicorn cookie cutters, edible glitter, and pastel food colors for customization.

AND, this activity doubles as entertainment plus a unique party favor for guests or students to take home.

Children's hands roll and press the unicorn play dough recipe using a textured rolling pin and a small cookie cutter on a purple mat. The white dough is sprinkled with colorful bits of sprinkles, creating a vibrant crafting scene. — The girls kept saying they were “making waffles.” (See the texture of the rolling pin on the left?)

Storage tips for unicorn play dough

To keep your unicorn play dough fresh and ready for more fun:

Store it in an airtight container or zip-top bag.
Keep it in a cool, dry place to prevent the sugar from melting.
Sometimes I store this in the fridge to prevent the sugar from subtly dissolving and becoming sticky.