Messy play is important for kids because it supports their development in several key areas:
- Sensory development: Engaging with different textures, smells, and materials (like mud, sand, paint, or water) helps build sensory awareness and integration.
- Fine motor skills: Activities like squishing playdough, pouring water, or finger painting strengthen hand and finger muscles, aiding in writing and self-care tasks.
- Creativity and imagination: Messy play is open-ended, encouraging kids to explore, invent, and express themselves freely.
- Cognitive growth: It promotes problem-solving, scientific thinking (like cause and effect), and early math skills through experimenting with volume, measurement, and categorisation.
- Emotional regulation: Messy play can be calming and therapeutic, giving kids an outlet for emotions and reducing anxiety.
- Language development: As kids describe textures, colours, actions, and feelings, their vocabulary and communication skills grow.
Here’s our list of must-have products for safe, fun, and (somewhat) manageable messy play at home:
Protective Gear
1. Waterproof smocks or aprons – Keeps clothes clean.
2. Splash mats or plastic tablecloths – Protect floors and tables.
3. Old towels or rags – Quick clean-up option.
Containers & Tools
4. Sensory bins – Shallow plastic tubs are great for containing messes. We have a few kinds: large plastic pot plant saucer, low sided flexi tub.
5. Scoops, spoons, funnels, cups and droppers – Encourage pouring and transferring.
6. Ice cube trays, muffin tins, or bowls – Great for sorting and mixing.
Messy Materials
7. Kinetic sand – Molds like wet sand but doesn’t dry out.
8. Play dough or homemade dough – Soft, squishy, and fun to manipulate.
9. Oobleck (cornstarch + water) – Fascinating non-Newtonian fluid (see our Instagram for the recipe and a cool activity)
10. Shaving foam – Light, fluffy, and fun for drawing or mixing colors.
11. Rice, lentils, or pasta (dyed or plain) – Great for scooping and sensory bins. (Checkout our previous blog post for a colourful rice activity)
12. Finger paint – Washable options are best.
13. Slime or gak – Stretchy, sticky fun (supervised depending on age).
Outdoor Bonus Items
14. Mud kitchen – Even a DIY version with old pots and pans.
15. Water table – Ideal for pouring, splashing, and floating items.
16. Tub of natural products– Collect leaves, twigs, rock, sand, water and whatever else you find outside.
Even though you’ll have a bit of a mess to clean up, the benefits for your kids outweighs the stress. Let your kids get messy and watch them grow!!!
