play-dough

Ok.--last week it rained for days. Stuck inside, dreaming (nightmares) of the winter days to come, what is there to do. The last thing I want them to do is play- dough,but eventually they go there. I bought it for them so they should play with it--right?? I bought it in a weak moment of thinking, "oh, it will be fun, I'm going to be a good mom and buy them a 24 pack of play-dough. I try to be a good mom, laid back, unconcerned with the mess forming around the table, spreading to the floor, onto clothes and bottoms of feet that then get tracked onto the carpet... I try, I really do and then I snap. It drives me crazy. I feel like Kate from TLC's Jon and Kate plus 8--freaking out about the mess. But I do, I sit down and start picking it up, while constantly saying, "be careful, don't get it on the floor, is it on your feet?,..." until I just say, ok- we are DONE with the play dough!!!
Who invented that stuff anyway? Is there any mom out there that REALLY likes it?