In a recent survey on children’s play by electrical retailer, AO.com, 29% of parents said they were worried that their child’s development – in particular social skills and attention span – was being negatively affected by TV, games consoles and other technology.
Despite this though, 41% of parents still discouraged children from getting dirty or messy when playing outside for fear of extra housework or germs!
But there are many ways to make mess and not all of them are as ‘messy’ as you might think. So, why not make the next few weeks a messy one with these 30 messy activities for the kids. It may be a good opportunity to teach little ones about clearing up after themselves too… we can but hope.
1. Arty Animals
Create an elephant stampede. Maybe roar like a lion. Giggle uncontrollably like a hyena. All these things are possible when you are wearing a handcrafted, animal face mask.
Scissors, floppy card, felt tips and some elastic is all you need for your little monkey to be transported to a jungle for the afternoon. Wildlife Watch has some great stencils to download and print off.
2. Rounders
Take a trip down memory lane with a good old fashioned game of rounders.
3. Chemistry
Budding scientists will love making colourful explosions with bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and food colouring.
4. Den Building
Come rain or shine, dens are the perfect way to while away an afternoon – and you can always make one indoors with cushions from the sofa.
Have a tea party inside or even dim the lights, get a torch out and play shadow puppets. Who doesn’t love a den?
5. Exploding Rockets
10…. 9….8….7…. Stage your very own exploding rocket launch in the back garden. Kids will love seeing how high the “rocket” flies and how much mess the explosion makes when it comes back down to earth!
Science Boffins have featured a really fun film canister rocket to try at home.
6. Finger Painting
If it’s raining outside, what better way to keep your kids entertained than by letting them loose on some finger painting masterpieces!
Red Ted Art has even thought about edible paint too for those sneaky taste testers.
(This recipe is edible in the sense that it is safe to eat)
7. Gardening
It’s never too early to inspire green fingers and gardening is a super fun activity for your little ones – give them their own little corner of the garden where they can choose their own flowers or vegetables to grow and let them get muddy!
8. Homemade Play Dough
Play dough is the perfect way for kids to go wild with their imagination and create anything from monsters to a three course dinner!
Homemade play dough is so easy to make and lasts a lot longer than the shop bought products. The Imagination Tree has come up with a simple, and super quick recipe that lasts for up to 6 months.
9. DIY Waterfall
On a hot summer’s day, there’s nothing a child loves more than getting wet and messy. If you have a fence, a few screws, a hammer and some empty plastic bottles then you are well on your way to building a water wall that will keep your ones fascinated for hours!
10. Elephant Toothpaste
Elephant’s teeth are enormous! So surely they go through an insane amount of toothpaste…or maybe they don’t use regular toothpaste? Perhaps they have their own, special Elephant Toothpaste?! See what we're on about - and how fun it is for little ones - just here with Fun at Home with Kids. It has the perfect recipe for such an thing.
11. Collage Making
Aren’t collages brilliant? As long as it sticks to paper then your kids can experiment with all kinds of things to create a fun, crafty bits. Leaves, petals, pom poms, pipe cleaners – the world is their oyster, so go for it!
12. Lollipops
Let the kids experiment with flavours until they discover their favourite combination – Frugal Family has shared great advice and recipe inspiration.
13. Mud Puddles and Pies
Dress your little ones head to toe in some old clothes and get them outside to jump around in the mud.
Timeless, ridiculous and downright fun, muddy puddles and pies are a sure-fire way to put a smile on their faces. Get them to describe the colours, textures and smells, and they’ll be learning and won’t even know it!
14. Nature Walk
Aren’t nature walks so exciting! There’s a whole world of critters and plant life out there for your kids to explore. Head out to your nearest park or woodland and remember to keep a note of anything you spot!
15. Obstacle Course
Jump, crawl, wriggle and slide around a homemade obstacle course. Simple Kids has some great ideas for how to create the course – you’ll certainly be surprised at what everyday things you can use as obstacles!
16. Polka Dot Slime
Just when you thought slime didn’t get any better, Fun at Home with Kids has taken it up a notch with Polka Dot Slime, guaranteed fun for your little ones and perfect for a rainy day! Pull, drip and squelch your way through it!
17. Marble Painting
Would you have thought that the humble marble could be so useful in creating eye-catching paintings? The Kids Craft Room have come up on top with their multi-coloured marble painting.
18. Rainbow Cakes
It might be a struggle at times to get your kids to eat their greens but it’s never a struggle to get them to eat psychedelic food, let’s be honest. As a special treat, have a messy afternoon baking some rainbow cake!
We love the organic version that Inhabitots has come up with, that’s made with natural food dyes
19. Slip and Slide
Oh, summer wouldn’t be summer without a slip and slide would it? It’s fun for all ages and the kids will not only love sliding around themselves, they will also relish watching mums and dads slipping around slapstick style!
Happy Hooligans has a lovely guide with all the information you need to recreate your very own.
20. Treasure Hunt
Your little pirates will be in their element as they solve clues on a homemade treasure hunt! Go large and organise it in a local park or keep it cosy indoors on wet days.
Nurture Store has a super simple and effective way of making a treasure hunt using chalk.
21. Water Fights
Arm your littles with water pistols and let them run riot…anything goes in a water fight, but just remember that you must let them win.
22. DIY X-Ray
Kids love playing doctor, so making their own X-Rays is a brilliant way of mixing art with role play! Use black paper and white paint, although Red Ted Art has come up with a much easier version which we think the kids will love.
23. Homemade Soap
After all of these messy antics, your kids are going to need a good scrub. Why not encourage the big clean up with some beautifully bonkers handmade soap made by your little ones?!
Truly Madly Kids has some incredible ideas ranging from glittery heart shapes to hidden joke flies, and, funnily enough, the kiddos will get just as messy making the soap as they have done on all the other messy activities.
24. Painting Plant Pots
Let the little Van Goghs give your tired looking plant pots a new lease of life with some paint and craft accessories.
Hobbycraft has some amazing ideas to inspire you.
25. Pancakes for Breakfast
Leave the cereal in the cupboard and get flipping. Making pancakes is just as much fun as eating them, mind. Once the pancakes are flipped and plated, why not reward your kids with a topping of their choice?
Thinly Spread has easy to follow recipe for delicious pancakes.
26. Egg Box Bugs
There are so many ways for you to upcycle your egg boxes. Kids will love inventing their own new species of bug life.
Take a peek at The Mini Me’s and Me talk through on their egg box bugs!
27. Glass Paint
Don’t restrict the children to just paper, let them loose on a window with The Imagination Tree’s homemade glass paint.
It’s so simple to make and even easier to clean up afterwards, and what’s more your kids will be so proud of their creations.
28. Papier Mache
There’s something so nostalgic about papier mache. The sculptures you can create, the lengths you could do to on “painting and decorating” really does make for an exciting rainy day activity.
Zingzing Tree has some really useful tips on how to create the paste and some inspiration for your end creations.
29. Jam Tarts
Get the kids baking - a great way to get them used to the kitchen, with numbers measurements and different ingredients. They will love seeing how much you enjoy the fruits of their labour afterwards – YUM YUM.
Multiple Mummy has a great recipe that is easy to follow.
30. Water Gun Painting
There is something very appealing about shooting paint at a blank canvas, regardless of your age! Certainly an activity for outside, sit back and watch as your little ones create colourful paint creations!
Have a look at Somewhat Simple for some inspo on how to take this one step further!