Messy play provides countless benefits for children including cognitive development, fine motor skills and creativity. Allowing kids to explore messy sensory activities encourages discovery and fosters imagination.
Kinetic Sand
Kinetic sand molds to little hands and replicates the feel of sand in between toes. Bury small toys or objects for kids to discover by touch. Use cookie cutters and stamps to create shapes and patterns.
Slime
Mix borax and white glue for a classic slime recipe. Add food coloring and glitter for colorful and sparkly slime. Have kids supervise as it cooks for extra science fun.
Cornstarch and water
Mix cornflour and water until you have a thick, sticky paste. Ride tricycles through it, do handprints or make shapes with cookie cutters. Capacity and textures are explored through play.
Pipe cleaners and pasta
Cheat complexity by threading pipe cleaners and pasta onto laces, thread, ribbon or yarn. Create shapes, animals or build sculptures. Develop fine motor skills with this tangled tangle toy.
Water beads
Soak plastic beads in water until they become soft and squishy. Count, sort, string and sculpt with these sensory water beads. Once dry, store in an airtight container.
Bubble solutions
Make it bubble day with multiple bubble solutions. Wands, rings, solutions and film can lead to a bubble bonanza. See how big you can make bubbles before they pop.
Salt dough
Mix salt, flour, water and oil for a edible salt dough. Roll, squeeze, sculpt and shape the dough with hands and rolling pins. Once dry, paint or decorate creations for colorful gifts from the kitchen table.
Play dough
The classic play dough with endless possibilities. Roll snakes, make pizza, build castles or simply squeeze with little hands. Only limited by imagination.
Providing opportunities for messy, unstructured play supports growth and nurtures creativity in children. Get messy and let imaginations run wild!