(Not So) Messy Play Ideas for Toddlers

10 (Not So) Messy Play Ideas for Toddlers (and Mothers with OCD Tendencies).

I have a confession. I hate Messy play. I am constantly worried about the mess they have already made, the mess they are currently making and any potential mess that is still to be made. Finger-painting gives me the shivers, mud makes me queasy, and gloop sends me into full-blown panic attacks. I fully realise that my children suffer for my insecurities. Their creativity is being squashed and their chance to explore the world squandered.  But I find it hard to deliberately make more mess when I already clean up so much through out the day! 

So I made a plan to do some NOT SO messy play with them. 

The idea is to choose activities which keep the benefits of messy play - those tactile, hands on, sensory do it yourself activities, but where the mess is manageable.

Some general approaches to prevent Mummy-Anxiety during any messy play -

• Contain the mess - use a deep bin, a  tray, a plastic drop sheet, good old fashion newspaper  or all of the above
• Use materials that are easy to clean up and have a vacuum cleaner/dust-buster nearby. Keep wet wipes and towels within arms reach.
• Play in a kid-safe area - the kitchen is good, so is the bathroom (assuming no carpets or porous tiles are to be found). Outdoors is even better
• Keep it simple – work on one idea at a time. Bring out one prop e.g scoop, tongs, brush, and let them play until they are done, before a new prop comes out.
• Never ever ever leave them alone!! (Even just to answer your door or check a text)

10 Activities I find induce the least amount of anxiety: 

Pouring Tapioca or Beans

Tapioca is a great size for pouring –  it gives a realistic feel for pouring, yet if it spills, it can be quickly picked up - either by hand to provide fine pincer grip practice, with a mini brush and shovel, or if mummy has had enough, a dust-buster. Dried beans or lentils are good too, but be aware they are a choking hazard and some varieties are poisonous if eaten raw.

Outside Chalk Art

Use Chalk to create art on the outside sidewalk, pavements or any flat concrete area.

Brush the chalk off their hands and clothes before they come inside, and pray for rain, or use the hose.

 Rice Sand Trays and Bins

 Set up a tray and use it for "finger painting"  and tracing shapes, letters in - Rice doesn’t really stick to hands and can be easily brushed off. Or a deeper bin is great for digging, scooping and pouring. Use brown rice, it looks more like sand, and tastes awful anyway! Easy clean up of any shovels, trowels or scoops with no water required. If rice does go over the side, have a dust-buster nearby. If you are even more anxiety-prone than me, double tray it. 

Sensory Balloons

Half-fill balloons with substances of different textures and consistencies (e.g. beans, corn, tapioca, flour, rice, water, hair gel, shaving cream) Then KNOT the end. Mess is fully contained but they can still explore the substance but feeling through the balloon. Get them to try to guess what is in the balloon, or match two balloons with the same substance.

Cotton Ball Clouds

Cotton balls have a light, fluffy texture that appeals to young children, they are easy to hide little toys in, and can be scooped up with spoons or tongs and sorted into little containers. Luckily though, chemical reaction, microwaves, strange soap foam or spray aerosols are not required to make them. You can get huge bags from the 1,2,3 dollar-type stores.

Shaving Foam Paint in the Bath

Using a muffin try, spray some old shaving foam with a few drops of food colouring into each hole. Use paint brushes to paint the walls of the bath with the coloured foam. Naked children and non-porous canvas make for easy clean up, and it is all well-contained in the bath. Invest in a spray attachment for your taps, it makes clean-up even easier.

Colouring Mixing in the Sink

Pull up a stool and set out some water and food coloring in plastic glasses in the kitchen sink. Use one or two drops of the primary colors and plastic see through glasses and let them pour and mix to explore the colours. Some empty glasses and a turkey baster can be fun to mix. A sleeve or two might get wet, but as the glasses are in a confined area, the mess should be minimal and the drain is right there.

Bathe the Toys

Let the children give the toys a bath in the base of the shower. Use a plastic bucket or tub and some body-wash to create a foamy bubble bath. Find old brushes, scrubs or sponges and let them wash their toys (dolls, cars or any other theme) and then dry with small flannels. A toddler in a swimsuit minimizes wet clothes, or let them go naked and they can do double duty and wash themselves too.

Painting the Fences 

“Painting” the fence – Fill spray bottles and buckets with  water and a few drops of food colouring, then spray or use paintbrushes to “Paint” fences, or any outside wooden things. Wet wood looks much darker, and the water dries quickly and leaves no stains.

Hair Gel Finger Painting

Put hair gel in a snap-lock bag, (cheap big containers are available at dollar store type shops), pop in some food color and glitter. Then seal it up, (and glue it if you need to). Mess is well-contained and children can then “finger-paint” in the sealed bag, tracing letters and shapes. Another benefit is that you can use it again and again.

  

Sorting Pegs

A bucket of pegs make for great color sorting. They can also be spread around easily, used to make patterns or lines, swept up with a broom quickly, scooped back in the bucket, then emptied out again. And again. And again.

How do you feel about Messy play? Do you shudder at the thought or are you right there too, up to your elbows in paint? What is your favorite messy play activity?