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Messy play

13 replies

MrsCeecee · 07/05/2025 08:27

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas for messy play you can do indoors (we currently don’t have outside space). My 15-month-old isn’t at nursery yet and is stuck with me mostly - and I’m very unimaginative! Feel like he’s missing out. He does try to eat everything though…

We do lots of playing and reading etc (and go for walks lots) but I’d love to do something messy. Or rather, I wouldn’t because I don’t really like mess, but I know I need to get over that!!

TIA!

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angelopal · 07/05/2025 08:29

Check locally to see if there are any messy play sessions near you if you don't want to do anything at home.

Merryoldgoat · 07/05/2025 08:29

Mine liked lentils in a tray and it’s just hoovering to clean up so easy.

Also that spray soap you can get that looks like shaving cream

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 07/05/2025 08:34

Paint? Cooked spaghetti? Leaves and things you find on your walk used in paint to make patterns? Mashed potato as play doh, water play….depends how messy you want to get?? Jelly - use the bath so easy to wash off!

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rainbowsandraspberrygin · 07/05/2025 08:35

Can also used dried foods like the lentils from PP or pasta/rice and make shakers or do pretend cooking in pans. Music and play in one!!

dontcomeatme · 07/05/2025 08:42

Get some little yoghurts, pack of 6 kids ones and add a small drop of food Colouring into each one, now you have "paints" he can make pictures with and also eat!
Put him in the bath with a few tubs of jelly, let him get smothered/eat it then hose him down. This is best in a tray of some kind but not always feasible in a small space. Also great with beans but not in the bath 😅
If you have a tray of some kind, just a small one, again with jelly put it in the tray and put some toys or things like cheerios inside the tray and he can try to get the toys/snacks out of the jelly.
You could also make your own playdough or cloud dough, lots of easy recipes online with only 2 or 3 ingredients.
With the warmer weather coming in you can always make some ice toys, my DS nursery freeze water balloons and then take the ice ball out and let the kids play with it, roll it around lick it try to pick it up and see how slippery it is. Apparently my DS loves this although I've never done it yet haha.

24Dogcuddler · 07/05/2025 08:44

If you have room buy a tuff spot. There are lots of ideas for tuff spot play online. You can buy stands too. Builders cement mix trays are cheaper but too big for indoors.
Cornflour and water is good ( maybe in a smaller tray) but v messy.
Make your own playdough. Main recipe is salt dough but you can google edible playdough.
Custard/ chocolate custard.
Coloured sand or anything he can mark make in with hands implements or wheeled toys
Get a huge mat for the floor.

QueenOfWeeds · 07/05/2025 08:49

We didn’t have room for a tuff tray so I got a large shallow flexi-trug (can also be used as a paddling pool) and used to put DD in that. She most enjoyed

  • coloured rice
  • Aquafaba foam
  • bubble bath whipped up with water and food colouring
A great tip I learned online is to buy a big floor mat (for weaning or similar), cut a hole in the middle and then bunch up the fabric and close the hole up with an elastic band or hair bobble. When messy play with dry things is done, you simply pick up the corners of the mat, shake everything down to the middle, hold it over a container and removed the elastic band and everything funnels out through the hole back into the container!
MrsClausMaybe · 07/05/2025 08:53

Rainbow Rice!!! Put uncooked rice in a ziplock bag, add a few drops of food colouring and a tablespoon of vinegar (the acid sets the colour). Mix around, then dry overnight on a baking sheet. Do three or four colours (separately). Store it in one of those plastic tubs from IKEA.

  • Bury toys in it and have them be rescued by diggers.
  • Pour through a funnel or toilet roll
  • Dig it with a spoon, an ice cream scoop, a ladle...

Costs only a couple of pounds, and our first lot of rainbow rice lasted over a year before I refreshed it. Toddler asks for it daily. I cannot recommend this enough. Plop the tub down on a sheet which can be shaken out over the bin for less mess.

Rusteze · 07/05/2025 08:56

We used to get trucks and make piles of dried pasta for digging…

kinetic sand was always a hit too, just invest in a tray! It does go everywhere but is easy to pick up.

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 07/05/2025 09:01

QueenOfWeeds · 07/05/2025 08:49

We didn’t have room for a tuff tray so I got a large shallow flexi-trug (can also be used as a paddling pool) and used to put DD in that. She most enjoyed

  • coloured rice
  • Aquafaba foam
  • bubble bath whipped up with water and food colouring
A great tip I learned online is to buy a big floor mat (for weaning or similar), cut a hole in the middle and then bunch up the fabric and close the hole up with an elastic band or hair bobble. When messy play with dry things is done, you simply pick up the corners of the mat, shake everything down to the middle, hold it over a container and removed the elastic band and everything funnels out through the hole back into the container!

What a fab idea!!!

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 07/05/2025 09:02

One more - sorry if someone already said - freeze little toys in water overnight and then they can dig/chop melt them out!

whosaidtha · 07/05/2025 09:11

Do painting in the bath. Put the paper on the tiles and then give them paint, brushes, sponges etc. then just spray the bath down when they are done!

Original poster
MrsCeecee · 07/05/2025 13:18

Oh you are all BRILLIANT! Thank you so much, so many great ideas here ☺️

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