Can You Bring Playdough (Play-Doh) On A Plane?

Flying
credit: Yay

Flying with kids. These three words are enough to send shivers down any parent’s spine! Keeping kids occupied on airplanes is essential to guarantee a more peaceful flight. Play-Doh is a fantastic activity to entertain your young children, but can you take playdough on a plane?

The TSA’s website does not list playdough as a forbidden item. However, TSA officials have the final say on whether you may take it onboard. Due to the ease with which plastic explosives may be concealed, playdough may get confiscated to ensure the safety of the airline and all its passengers.

Is It A Good Idea To Bring Playdough On A Plane?

Every parent knows that even though your kids can make you crazy, you can’t imagine life without them. However, even something as simple as having a picnic on the beach with your kids can be a struggle. In fact, just packing the car and getting there can crush your soul!

Now, imagine you are flying with your toddler, and you know that playdough is the only thing that will keep them from disturbing everyone on the plane and protect you from getting those “please control your child” looks from the other passengers.

It is essential to keep playdough in its original packaging for safety reasons and to prevent authorities from seizing it. Anything that looks out of the ordinary to security personnel will likely undergo further inspection. If it gets taken away, make sure you have some backup flight activities.

Kids’ playdough is harmless; however, there are plastic explosives known as “Spicy Play-Doh” that looks quite similar. Since the TSA will confiscate anything that sets off an alarm or raises suspicion, this material may safely be ruled out as being even somewhat similar to the tub of multicolored children’s play dough.

So, to help set your mind at ease and lower your pre-flight anxiety, let’s discuss whether you can take playdough on a plane. Thankfully, taking playdough onto a plane is entirely acceptable. The TSA states that you can bring playdough in your carry-on and checked bags.

Can You Bring Playdough Through TSA?

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to this question because plastic explosives are occasionally concealed inside playdough.

Even while the TSA (Transport Security Administration) permits passengers to carry playdough onto aircraft, the TSA officer you encounter has the last say, and playdough has occasionally been seized. Therefore, if a TSA officer believes playdough constitutes a concern to other passengers, they have the authority to confiscate it.

Can You Bring Playdough In Your Carry On?

Although the TSA allows playdough on a plane in your carry-on or checked bags, it doesn’t guarantee that it won’t be confiscated. However, they state you can bring playdough on a plane in your carry-on and checked bags if the security officer allows it.

Therefore, before you get excited because your child will have playdough to keep them busy and out of trouble, you can pray for the best, but it is more realistic to expect the worst.

Can You Bring Playdough In Check-in Luggage?

Yes, if the security officials allow it, you can bring playdough onto the plane in your check-in luggage. However, to be safe, contact the airport authorities to check beforehand if you may bring playdough on a plane and the quantity limit.

When you get to the security official, you can state that you contacted the authorities and received their permission to bring the playdough on the plane.

Can You Bring Playdough On A Domestic Flight?

According to the TSA, you can bring playdough on an airplane, and it won’t be a problem either in your carry-on or your checked luggage. Play-Doh is not a dangerous or flammable substance, and nor is it a liquid. It is also not on the airlines’ banned items list.

The play dough containers, plastic tubs, look a bit like plastic explosives, but it would be perfectly legal if you wrapped them in a plastic bag and labeled it “C-4” (indicates contents are for kids aged 4+.

However, as mentioned before, it ultimately comes down to the permission of the security official, whether you can take it onto the plane or if they feel they have to confiscate it instead.

Can You Bring Playdough Into Canada On A Plane?

The answer to this question depends entirely on the security official. If you’re flying to Canada with a young child and want to keep them occupied with playdough, it would be best to contact the airport authorities and confirm whether or not you may bring it onboard in your carry-on bag.

Playdough, or anything else you can mistake for plastic explosives, will be confiscated at security checkpoints. It is always better to ensure that the items you have packed are allowed and save you a lot of hassle and frustration.

How Can You Redeem Your Confiscated Playdough?

The last thing parents want to hear is that they are not allowed to take an activity that will keep their kids out of trouble and give them a calmer trip with them on the plane. Also, it feels like a violation when your things get taken away.

Security could take it away from you, but they might not. Playdough has a notoriety on certain air travel message boards for attracting negative attention. Firstly, if your kids accidentally drop it on the floor, other passengers may step on it and tramp it all across the cabin’s carpet.

While it angers you when your personal items are confiscated, there are ways that you can redeem these items. Below are a few things you can do to redeem your child’s confiscated playdough;

  • You may request that the security officials check the item thoroughly. However, this could take a lot of time and requires you to stand in a customs queue. Therefore, deciding if it is worth the effort and time is important.
  • If someone sees you off, you can ask the official to give the play dough to them instead so they can hold on to it for you until you get back.
  • If you are returning home, you can ask the person(s) seeing you off to post the playdough to your address.

What Does The TSA Do With Confiscated Items?

If the TSA confiscates something of yours, there’s no telling if you’ll ever see it again. In most cases, authorities will destroy or sell confiscated goods at auction.

That being said, you will only get something back if you can identify the precise item that was confiscated. Since it is too much of a hassle to try to retrieve your child’s playdough, you’re probably better off just buying new playdough when you reach your destination.

If you think the TSA officials might take the playdough away, consider bringing other activities onto the plain to keep your kid(s) busy.