Messy play inspiration

[mumofone]

I don't think I provide enough messy play but that could be because I'm clueless about it! Can anyone give me any advice/suggestions? I keep reading about pasta shapes and coloured rice too...what does this entail? Thank you!! :-)

[mama2three]

Pinterest is a great place for inspiration..look at sensory trays . this is one pic of rice play I set up , we were consolidation colour at the time , but also the children were practising pouring , filling etc...lots of dexterity going on plus creativity and a bit of maths for good measure! Most of all though they just enjoyed themselves.
At the moment they seem to enjoy muddy play , ...mud , stones, twigs etc in the tuffspot with dinosaurs to stomp through it!

[emma_lubylu]

I tried coloured rice and it went wrong :( so can't help there, sorry!

We love messy play in my setting, here are a few Ideas

Jelly- mush it up in a tray and add animals ( ducks, dinosaurs etc)- just be careful of dietary requirements/ religious requirements and opt for a veggi jelly

Painting with various objects- veg printing, running cars through the paint, printing with bricks

Foam- make sure it is an inscented one, they love squishing it through their fingers!

Moon dough- really simple to make. Just add unscented, cheap baby cream to cornflour, and it creates a mouldable sand

And finally, my personal favourite, gloop! ( or magic cornflour as my mum used to call it!) Add a little water to corn flour and it makes a solid, yet runny mixture ☺
Hope this helps

[Simona]

I tried coloured rice and it went wrong :( so can't help there, sorry!

We love messy play in my setting, here are a few Ideas

Jelly- mush it up in a tray and add animals ( ducks, dinosaurs etc)- just be careful of dietary requirements/ religious requirements and opt for a veggi jelly

Painting with various objects- veg printing, running cars through the paint, printing with bricks

Foam- make sure it is an inscented one, they love squishing it through their fingers!

Moon dough- really simple to make. Just add unscented, cheap baby cream to cornflour, and it creates a mouldable sand

And finally, my personal favourite, gloop! ( or magic cornflour as my mum used to call it!) Add a little water to corn flour and it makes a solid, yet runny mixture ☺
Hope this helps

Love cornflour...so therapeutic for adults too
Love the feeling as it trickles through your fingers.
Other ideas....pasta, noodles in warm water so they soften....maths in there too!

[moggy]

In the woods: big puddle of deep squishy mud + 2x 2year olds with buckets and sticks = messy play as it should be!

[Little Dots]

I love Pinterest for also rts...here's my tuff spot board...
https://www.pinterest.com/zoe7/tuff-spot/
I also have play dough ones, diff paint ones for messy play, an outdoor board and others.
I'm a pinterest geek lol
Colored rice is done with vinegar & food colouring, shake it all together in a bag (good for kids) then pour onto a tray and leave to dry.
Play dough is good for imaginative/messy play. You can make all sorts of colored/scented ones then add bits for role play. Is birthday just add cupcake wrappers, candles, sprinkles etc
X

[smurfette]

I love Pinterest for also rts...here's my tuff spot board... https://www.pinterest.com/zoe7/tuff-spot/ I also have play dough ones, diff paint ones for messy play, an outdoor board and others. I'm a pinterest geek lol Colored rice is done with vinegar & food colouring, shake it all together in a bag (good for kids) then pour onto a tray and leave to dry. Play dough is good for imaginative/messy play. You can make all sorts of colored/scented ones then add bits for role play. Is birthday just add cupcake wrappers, candles, sprinkles etc X

Hey thanks for adding that some great ideas here !!

[mama2three]

I love Pinterest for also rts...here's my tuff spot board...
https://www.pinterest.com/zoe7/tuff-spot/
I also have play dough ones, diff paint ones for messy play, an outdoor board and others.
I'm a pinterest geek lol
Colored rice is done with vinegar & food colouring, shake it all together in a bag (good for kids) then pour onto a tray and leave to dry.
Play dough is good for imaginative/messy play. You can make all sorts of colored/scented ones then add bits for role play. Is birthday just add cupcake wrappers, candles, sprinkles etc
X

You just gained another follower!

[greenfaerie]

I've seen a great recipe for "edible" slime that's made out of basil seeds. That's one of my next stops for messy play. I've also done the tapioca pearls, and homemade veggie jelly. It's tricky needing everything to be edible with a baby!