12 Fun Messy Activities and Play Ideas for Kids

Messy activities are an essential part of childhood. Let your kids explore different sensory textures and have fun with these play ideas.

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Messy playtime is… well, it’s messy! But it’s also a great sensory experience and a ton of fun for kids of all ages. With a little bit of planning and some structure, you can turn messy activities into an activity that won’t leave you cleaning up all weekend.

Here are a few tips to turn messy activities into organized chaos:

• Go outdoors if you can. It’s just easier to clean up.
• Cover your space. If you’re doing something indoors, such as finger painting at the kitchen table, put down newspaper or a plastic tablecloth to avoid big messes.
• Make sure kids know the rules. For example, staying outdoors until the mud is rinsed off of your feet.
• Get everything set up ahead of time so there’s no running back and forth to get items after getting messy.
• Put safety first. For example, no running on wet surfaces to avoid a slip and fall.
• Have a plan for cleanup before you get started.

Bonus tip: We’ve included a few activities below that are edible. Make sure your kids know what they can or can’t put in their mouths and use your best judgment for choking hazards.

Dinosaurs and rainbow jelly

Gelatine is a wonderful sensory play material. It’s a little wet, a little squishy, and so wiggly. Over at The Craft Train, learn how to set up a dinosaur and rainbow jelly play idea. You could easily swap the dinos for any washable plastic toy.

Monster truck art

Kids who love playing with cars will love this cute idea for monster truck art from Kids Activities Blog. Turn it into a math game or just challenge your kids to see how many different tire tread patterns they can create.

Foam ball slime

Instead of quickly washing those sticky fingers, kids will adore digging into the texture of this foam ball slime. Laughing Kids Learn has an easy recipe and some tips for turning this activity into a math and science lesson.

Shaving cream paint

Make a batch of shaving cream paint from Mom Dot and let your kids paint with fingers or brushes. If you set this up in the bathtub, cleanup is as easy as turning on the shower to rinse it down the drain.

Rainbow dyed rice

Making the rainbow dyed rice from Happy Hooligans isn’t messy, but you’ll want to use deep bins or set up outdoors to keep rice from flying everywhere. You can also do this technique with dried pasta and other similar materials.

Taste-safe oobleck

One of the things parents worry about messy activities is kids putting things in their mouths. My Bored Toddler has solved that problem with their recipe for taste-safe oobleck. While you don’t want kids eating much of it, it’s all kitchen ingredients.

Crunchy box

What exactly is a crunchy box? It’s a creative sensory play idea from Busy Toddler that lets kids get messy with pantry ingredients. This one is easy to mix up to use whatever items you have on hand.

Mud play station

Mess for Less has a really fun way to let your kids play in the mud by setting up a mud play station. There are tons of activities that your kids could do with mud, including pretend gardening, cooking, or just digging into the texture with different tools.

Edible dirt

Some kids really love to turn snack time into playtime, so why not set up this messy play idea from Life With My Littles? This edible dirt is perfect for kids who love to play with their food. You can add other toys and tools too.

Washing dishes

This washing dishes sensory activity from Twin Mom Refreshed can do double duty. Let your kids play and splash while also learning a life skill. Bonus points if the toys or play dishes actually end up clean too.

Flower potions

If your kids love to mix up “potions” then they will adore this flower potion activity at Rooted Childhood. Pick up a bouquet from the grocery store or go on a neighborhood walk to collect wildflowers.

Baking soda rainbows

Visit Messy Little Monster to learn how to turn these baking soda rainbows into a messy fun science experiment. You can do this as small or big as you like. Use the whole rainbow or just let your kids pick their favorite colors.

While many kids love to get messy, some don’t. If you’re not sure whether your child will enjoy these messy activities, set up the activity and give them an invitation to play. Let them know that they can play however they like – and you’ll help them clean up when they’re done.

More fun ideas from Backyard Summer Camp:

• 15 Fun Dollar Store Crafts for Kids
• 20 Backyard Water Activities for Kids
• 30 Kids Yarn Crafts to Make This Summer