PlayDoh revisited

Elementary school kids state-wide have been out of school all week. Something called "Fall Intersession," which neither Noel nor I can remember anything like it when we were kids. Only the elementary kids, too, so parents like us have to scramble for childcare coverage or are busy with activities. Or both.
We made PlayDoh yesterday afternoon. We've made it a half dozen times since the summer, and it's turned into a lesson in color creations. Robbie stands in the kitchen with all the food coloring options spread out before him on the counter and dictates to me what colors he wants to mix next. And that means he squirts the drops of food coloring into small balls of PlayDoh and I knead it. We got a lot of grey one day, which I turned into an elephant. We also usually wind up with a lot of browns and oranges, typical from a kid who wants a little bit of his favorite red in everything!
A few things that I've learned about making PlayDoh since the original post in late July. Don't follow the directions! I now have a more efficient system. First, pour the water directly into pot and start heating it (medium heat). Add the remaining liquid ingredients directly into the pot, including vanilla - but not food coloring, unless you want the entire batch the same color. (I still don't add a lot of vanilla. One teaspoon works well for us.) Pour the salt into the water and let it begin dissolving. Add remaining dry ingredients and then start stirring. With the water already heated, the mixture comes together within a minute and you're done! It takes longer for it to cool down than to make it.