Quick & easy messy play ideas to help sensory issues?

[Oldmotherduck]

Can anyone suggest some really quick and easy ideas for messy play things to try out to help my DD with issues around texture (won't touch anything gloopy or wet with hands or spoon)?

I can only think of playdoh, paints, stickers etc and I saw a squirty can of some sort of 'instant' messy play stuff once but I don't know what it was called. We are popping to the shops this afternoon so would be grateful for ideas so I can look out for things.

Also has anyone read any good books on this that they can recommend?

Brilliant thanks for that!

I would also recommend you get something like a cement mixing tray to help contain the mess. They are large enough for a child to sit in and play and you can use them inside or out and wash them clean.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B002HIY9JQ?pc_redir=1397988990&robot_redir=1

Oops meant to say that our DS used to love playing with dried lentils or other pulses in the tray. If your DD won't touch anything 'wet' then they might be a good idea to start with and are very cheap!

I was just about to ask that, thanks. Also wondering what she should wear - is it best just to find an old outfit or are aprons better? And do you sit them up at a table to do it? I'm just imagining my other toddler getting very involved and walking paint around the house!

The problem is that she cries and tries to get away from any paints or messy stuff. So if I sat her at a table she would get very distressed (or crawl away from it if not at a table). I feel I need to take little steps first to slowly introduce her but I'm not sure how to. There must be a book or something where I can follow a set plan (I haven't looked thoroughly at all the links above yet though so may be something there and I haven't seen it yet).

We do see an OT so may still get more from that but it's a bit general.

Thanks booby just seen your other reply.

Have you ever tried those aqua crystal things? They are meant to be for making flower arrangements but my sensory seeker DD loves them. you could start by just getting your DD to hold 1 at a time then progress to a small handful- right up to sticking her hands in a great tub full of the things.

You can buy them quite cheap from ebay and they do all sorts of different colours that might appeal

Old mother duck, one thing to maybe try is that for my DD, she didn't like messy play stuff but then we found that she would actually put her feet in it fine and when she had tested it with her feet she was then happy to put her hands in it. Not sure why but it definitely worked for her and now she'll shove her hands straight in to anything!!

Great thanks everyone, I have lots of ideas now. moo the feet idea is interesting as DD points to things with her feet and even picks up books with them so it wouldn't surprise me if she gave that go.

polter the cleaning up sounds good too. I've just started giving her a wipe so she can wipe things away as soon as food touches her tray and she seems much happier with that so will try that as well.

Our additional needs group uses timers to encourage children to sit at the activity they are reluctant to do. Although ds1 steered completely clever of the table set up with squirty cream today (great if they might actually try to eat it). NT ds2 on the other hand was right in there playing and eating it. We used it as a cutlery skills activity for him

I got a set from amazon as ds1 generally responds well to them and the shortest one is 30 seconds. It does help encourage ds1 as he can see that there is an end to the horrid thing that he doesn't want to do.