We all know that young kids learn best by digging their hands in and playing! These messy play ideas are the perfect way to keep kids busy and exploring their senses at the same time. Although these are a bit messy, these sensory play recipes are easily cleaned up. Take sensory play outside on a nice day and the clean up will be that much easier!

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Easy Sensory Play Ideas

Does your child like messy play? Does he or she dig right in and get started? Or is he hesitant and reluctant to get his hands messy? Messy sensory play can be a delight for the senses!

Some children seek it and some avoid it. Keep experimenting, respect boundaries but also continue to try to find the messy sensory play that works for your child.

I thought it might be fun to spend the week trying ideas or experimenting with messy sensory play recipes. Some are versions of ones we have tried in the past and some are brand new, even edible.

However, they are all easy to set up and inexpensive to try. You may even have some of the ingredients for this great messy sensory play already on hand! Take a look and dig in for some messy fun.

Why Is Sensory Play Important?

Sensory play makes for awesome hands-on fun and learning for young children as they explore and discover more about the world through their senses! Sensory activities can also calm a child, help a child to focus, and engage a child.

The Many Benefits of Sensory Play

Motor Development Skills ~ Sensory play helps a child explore, discover, and create using motor skills like dumping, filling, and scooping.

Play Skills {emotional development} ~ For both social play and independent play, sensory activities allow children to play cooperatively or side by side. My son has had many positive experiences with other children over a bin of rice!

Language Development ~ Sensory play increases language development by experiencing all there is to see and do with their hands, which leads to great conversations and opportunities to model language.

Using the 5 Senses ~ Many sensory activities include a few of the senses! Touch, sight, sounds, taste, (where appropriate), and smell are the 5 senses. Kids can experience several senses at a time with a sensory bin or sensory play recipe.

Calming tools ~ Sensory play recipes calm many anxious or worried kiddos. You might find that one works better than another for your kiddo.

Some sensory play materials can settle and soothe, and some can help keep kids’ attention and build their connection with you.

Helpful Resources To Get You Started

There’s so much more to learn about sensory play. Here are a few ideas, with free printables, to help you set up sensory activities easily!

Fun Ideas For Messy Play

Messy Sensory Play Tip: Keep plenty of towels and a bowl of water nearby for easy clean up! Check out more tips for easy clean up!

NEW! Rainbow Spaghetti

Make colored noodles in a rainbow of colors that kids will love digging their hands into!

Click here for how to make rainbow spaghetti.

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Rainbow Spaghetti

Rainbow Oobleck

Oobleck is one of the neatest substances that combines science and sensory play into one very messy activity! Here you can see a rainbow of colors but you can choose any colors you like or stick with basic white!

Two basic kitchen pantry ingredients are all that is needed to whip up this sensory play material! Cornstarch and water!

Click here to make oobleck right away!

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Rainbow Oobleck

Coffee Scented Baking Soda Sensory Play

This messy sensory play is easy to make! Used coffee grounds and baking soda.

I did not measure anything but simply mixed until it felt right. I saved two days worth of coffee grounds (wet) for this. If you don’t drink coffee, try scenting with a little cinnamon and vanilla or maybe cocoa powder would work too! I put some baking soda in a baking dish and added the grounds.

Because the grounds were also wet I did not add any water, they still had enough moisture to form a messy but pack-able dough that easily crumbled. Otherwise, you would need to add a bit of water to get the desired consistency.

I added some little scoops, a chopstick, and his farm animals!

 I love how he started to dig in and get a little messy! I found him a small cup to mold little castles for the animals. Having a few tools ready can help a reluctant child enjoy messy sensory play.

Messy Sensory Play Experiment Baking Soda DoughPin

Moon Sand Sensory Bin

Learn how to make moon sand! You don’t have to turn it into a space theme sensory bin either! However, tin foil makes fun asteroids…

Click here to learn how to make moon sand for a cool messy sensory play idea.

Clean Mud

I first saw this over at Happy Hooligans as ghost mud but it is also called clean mud which is perfect for our “muddy” sensory play. The best part is ripping up a roll of toilet paper!

Click here for the clean mud recipe.

Messy Sensory Play Clean Mud Set UpPin

This was definitely messy sensory play, but he appeared to be having a blast. I think he enjoyed making “snow” balls and plopping them into the bin. Note: you might want a large bin for this messy sensory play!

Messy Sensory Play Clean Mud PlayPin

Pudding Mud

I was so inspired by my blogging friend over at House of Burke with her messy edible piggy play that I thought I would try it too. All you need is some chocolate pudding mix! Follow the directions on the packet.

I was hoping a special edible treat to taste might encourage greater participation and enjoyment. Of course! He made a pig pile and gave them a mud bath. There was some finger licking going on too. (I did save a bowl for dessert later).

messy sensory play experiment pigs in puddingPin

Chocolate Cloud Dough Sensory Play

We have done a few cloud dough sensory bins this year already! So easy to make with flour and oil!

I usually mix a few cups of flour with 1/2 cup of vegetable oil or any oil you have on hand. Not super tasty but nothing bad if swallowed either. Since I wanted to make it ” muddy” cloud dough, I switched out a cup of flour with a cup of cocoa roughly!

Cloud dough is a fun messy play experience that isn’t to messy as long as someone else does the mixing. Some messy sensory play ideas are a bit less messy if they are prepared beforehand.

Click here for our easy cloud dough recipe.

Messy Sensory Play Experiment Making Cocoa Cloud DoughPin

Good Old Dirt, Water, & Mud Messy Sensory Play

Dig up some dirt for this messy sensory play idea. This is a pretty simple idea but it is still messy fun! Gather natural elements from around the yard to add to your dirt bin.

Messy Sensory Play Experiment Dirt and Mud PlayPin

More Fun Sensory Play Ideas

 Click on the image below or on the link for more fun and easy sensory activities for kids!

4 Comments

  1. So much messy, muddy fun! I just love the ideas you shared here – I’ll be trying some out this summer, I’m sure.

  2. So many fun ways to explore and get a bit messy! I keep wanting to try the clean mud one with my little guy…. Maybe this weekend!

  3. The “clean mud” one is easier than I thought to make! But my daughter would love any one of these ideas!

  4. Oh I love all these messy mud ideas!!! Thanks for the link back 🙂 Glad to have inspired some delicious looking messy play! 🙂

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