What age to start messy play?

[AlbertaWildRose]

DS is 15 months, and I would like to try messy play with him, but pretty much everything still goes in his mouth. I'm just wondering when other mums started doing messy play with their babies? And does anyone have any ideas of messy things that are ok to go in the mouth? Thanks.

lol i don't think thing are particuarly ok they just do!!

messy play at any age is fabulous and you will love the outcome

....but if you plan to use paint and don't really like the mess that goes with it make sure you run a bath first to put your lo into after and then just put them in a nappy in a room with washable floor (kitchen/bathroom) and let them get on with it, ime it pays to be prepared

I am very envious.
When my kids were that age I used to tape old sheets of wallpaper plain side up[uppermost) to completely cover the kitchen table.

Run the bath.

Plonk naked child on top and splodge a few dollops of paint around for him to rub in with hands, feet, bum.....

yes! cornflour and water in a massive bowl (basically turns out as cement/quick sand made out of custard) which is completely edible and safe for babies. For extra mess just add food dye!

Oooh, that all sounds like great fun, thanks for the pointers! Must keep the camera handy!

Any age is messy age.

When I worked in a Nursery we would un-dress the under one year olds to their nappies and let them play with paint....hands & feet paintings.

my dd is 13 mo and they do lots of messy play at nursery - her clothes come back filthy but she loves it!! last week they did shaving foam one day and soapy bubbles another. they also had a big tray of cornflakes once that the babies were encouraged to fell and scrunch etc - my dd got in the tub, scrunched them with her bum and then started to eat them good luck, and ENJOY!!

At our post-natal group, they did a messy play session, with our l.o.s who were 5 to 6 months (!)
They had cornflower, and also jelly for them to scrunch. I raised a laugh when I said but what if she eats it? (being worried about sugar on precious new teeth)- was just told [shrug] what if she does?

Dd did me proud when she refused to put more than a finger in, and even then only with a [disgusted] face LOL.

She does loads at nursery now though (20 mo), loves it.

Our favourite at home is to fill the washing up bowl with baby bath bubbles and give her a pair of rubber gloves, a cloth, and some scoops, cups etc and let her 'clean' the kitchen floor whilst I (really) clean it at the same time! She thinks its great fun, and the floor gets nice and sparkly. She likes being like mummy more than anything!