How to make 2-ingredient “Apple Pie” Dough & “Apple Pie ABC”

/ Bookish Play, Sensory Storytime

An Alphabetical Book & “Apple Pie” Dough

After reading Alison Murray’s “Apple Pie ABC” we decided to make our favorite homemade dough. This time we made it apple scented and added all the tools necessary for making an alphabet apple pie! This was a lot of fun, I can’t wait to show you, let’s get started…

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Summary of “Apple Pie ABC”

“Apple Pie ABC” by Alison Murray is a charming book about a girl, her mischievous dog, and some delicious homemade apple pie. It is a quick read with simple text throughout the story. Each letter of the alphabet is represented in a big, bold and reinforcing way on each page. The illustrations are adorable and engaging. I would definitely recommend this book.

2-ingredient “Apple Pie” Dough?

You might be wondering… “What do you do with it?” or “How is this not just going to be a sensory mess?” There are many ways to answer these two common questions…

pouring hair conditioner into pie tin

First, the most basic answer to “What you could do with 2-ingredient “Apple Pie” Dough?” is… have Fun. Sensory play at its finest is not about “doing” something specific. It is about exploring, feeling, listening, watching, problem solving, creating, etc… This is an open-ended activity. Just as each child has their own unique personality, experience, and preference in play, the outcome of this activity is just as special.

messy hands mixing hair conditioner and cornstarch to make apple pie dough

As for the second question, Yes, this is can be a messy one! But, I hear you. I’ve been asked that question many times. Therefore, a detailed answer, along with strategies for successful messy sensory play, can be found by reading, “What about the Sensory Mess?”

What We Did with the 2-ingredient “Apple Pie” Dough…

We tend to keep the activities as simple as possible around here. We’re not interested in complicated or costly. We are also all about fostering independence. So, for this activity my daughter mixed the cornstarch and apple scented hair conditioner together, mostly with her hands. 😉

hands using rolling pin to flatten apple pie dough

Then, she kneaded it like dough. At first it was a bit crumbly, so we added more conditioner, little by little, kneading in between, until we had the consistency we liked. Once the dough was smooth and stretchy she sprinkled some cornstarch on the cutting board and began using a rolling pin to flatten it out. She measured it against the pie tin a few times to see if it was big enough to fit. This was great practice for making “real” pie without the stress of wanting to hurry up and put it in the oven so you can eat it, lol. Although it does smell amazing and you will probably want to make a real apple pie afterwards, lol.

the word "PIE" written in happicrafts letters with tiny apple erasers

Once the dough was the size she wanted she laid it into the tray. It wasn’t the smoothest transition, but it was an opportunity to learn how to do it differently next time. 😉 Now with the dough in the pie tin, it was time to add apples and because this activity is paired with the “Apple Pie ABC” book, letters too! We used tiny apple erasers we found at Target & our amazing mini rainbow sprinkle letters (not an affiliate link, we just love them) from HappiCrafts.com. They are absolutely adorable and were the perfect fit for this activity!

Its not a race, take your time

hands using rolling pin to flatten dough next to apple pie dough in pie tin with apple erasers and happicraft sprinkle letters

My daughter took her time placing each apple and letter into the pie with love. Then, we moved on to making a criss cross pattern on top of the pie (not necessary but great for older kids and fun!). She rolled out the extra dough and used a plastic knife to cut it into thin strips.

At this point, I think because we were outside in the summertime, the dough was a bit dry and crumbly, we solved that by adding some conditioner to our hands and finger painting it on the dough or kneading it in to the part that hadn’t been cut yet.

close up of apple pie dough apple pie

This was the first time she made a pie on her own. I assisted by being present in the moment (a.k.a. no phone other than to take a few photos/videos for you to see 😉 ). I let her make mistakes and ask questions because thats how the best learning happens, even if its hard to watch sometimes. She did an excellent job!

Lastly, she ran into the house and got some paper plates and plastic cutlery we had leftover from a past party and served us each a slice. How fun! 🙂 I would suggest 2-ingredient “Apple Pie” Dough sensory play if you’re looking for a sweet & engaging activity to connect with your child.

  • apple pie dough pie
  • hands moving strips of dough
  • hands adding strips of dough to top of pie
  • hands serving apple pie dough pie onto a blue plate

Materials We Used

  1. “Apple Pie ABC” by Alison Murray (from the library or you can buy one here)
  2. A Large Bowl
  3. Measuring cups
  4. Spatula
  5. Cornstarch
  6. Hair conditioner (we bought the cheap kind found in the dollar tree, apple scented optional)
  7. Pie tin
  8. Rolling pin
  9. Cutting board
  10. Apple erasers found at Target (or any small apple items)
  11. HappiCrafts.com rainbow sprinkle letters
    Click HERE for Free Printable copy (Email Subscribers Only)

How to Make 2-ingredient “Apple Pie” Dough?

  1. Measure 2 cups of cornstarch.
  2. Pour the cornstarch into a large bowl.
  3. Measure 1 cup of hair conditioner.
  4. Pour the conditioner into the same large bowl.
  5. Mix the 2 ingredients with a spatula or spoon.
  6. Once mixed (when you can no longer see the conditioner)begin kneading it.
  7. Add a your imagination along with a pie tin, rolling pin, cutting board, tiny apple erasers, mini sprinkle letters, plates, etc…
    Click HERE for Free Printable copy (Email Subscribers Only)

Wait, There’s More…

Sample of “Communicating & Connecting FREE Bonus Printable.

I believe you can easily strengthen communication skills and foster independence all while playing and connecting with your child. To help you do this; I’ve created a FREE printable for each activity called, “Communicating & Connecting”.

It will give you a list of suggestions I’ve found very helpful as a Mom & as a special education teacher; to help you build lifelong skills. Please don’t feel obligated to do everything on the list (but if you do, you’re a rockstar 😉 ).

As a Thank You for subscribing; this is a special FREEBIE for our Email Subscribers Only. 🙂 Click here if you’ve already subscribed. Otherwise, Sign Up below to get the password & access to our entire FREE Printables Library today! 😉

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