Why Kids Need Messy Play

Just for a moment, I want you to sit, close your eyes, and think back to a memory where you fully engaged in the kind of play that left dirt stains on your clothing, eliciting tingles of joy while collecting nature’s treasures and possibly resulting in a scrape or two. Remember feeling the grass beneath your bare feet, your hands in the dirt or on the bark of a tree, and the smell of Earth’s aroma surrounding you? Take a moment and ask yourself this - how did you feel at that time?

Now, open your eyes and come back to yourself in the present. A grown adult with a job, responsibilities, and expectations. Do you miss the carefree days of playing outside, getting all messy and dirty, and not even thinking twice about it? As a child, you weren’t aware of how essential this kind of play was. (And still is! See our article for the American Council on Exercise: The Power of Dirt.) Messy, outdoor play is foundational in the development of a child. Ask any Occupational Therapist; they will tell you it’s great for promoting fine motor, communication, problem-solving, and sensory regulation skills. These skills are important in a child’s ever-growing, developing brain, helping to prepare them for both school and life.

According to Angela J. Hanscom, Author of Balanced and Barefoot,

“True joy, a sense of play, and confidence overcome children who play outdoors.”

Hanscom advocates that children engage in messy outdoor play for several reasons:

• Messy, outdoor play inspires creativity and imagination.
• Messy, outdoor play creates the optimal and perfect setting for balanced sensory experiences.
• Messy, outdoor play allows children to appropriately evaluate risks and face challenges head on.

Above all else, messy play engages all of your child’s senses! This is how children explore and learn about their environment as well as what their bodies can do in relation to the world around them. Their minds and bodies seek input in many forms, and the outdoors check all the boxes. Outdoors, children are free to run, jump, roll, and climb! It’s a space where a child can create a world of their own, make up their own rules and spend time away from adults, while working and negotiating with their peers however they choose. Bake a delicious mud pie? Sure! Build a fort to protect themselves from dragons? Yes! Even infants benefit from crawling on the ground, picking up sticks, touching the leaves of a bush, or feeling dirt between their fingers. The best part? This kind of play isn’t complicated or expensive. It’s absolutely simple! Join your child and let the inner one in you take over for a bit. Together, you will make memories that will be remembered by everyone.

Best Ways to Incorporate Messy Play?

• Colanders, tin muffin pans, tin baking sheets, spatulas, cooking spoons, ladles, measuring cups, buckets.
• Water, sand, dirt.
• Spray bottles, large paint brushes.
• Ice cube trays, plastic containers, rolling pins.
• And remember to send children to school in clothes that can get dirty and sneakers they can run in! Comfortable shoes and clothing will foster their ability to explore and use their bodies!

Messy play is a fun and creative way for kids to learn and explore new things. Here are some great messy play ideas for kids:

1. Finger painting: Set up a large piece of paper or canvas and let your child use their fingers to paint with different colors. (You can use washable paint to make clean-up easier.)
2. Play dough: Make your own play dough or buy it from a store. Your child can use it to make shapes, sculptures, or even their own little worlds.
3. Water play: Set up a water table or fill a large container with water and provide cups, spoons, and other items for pouring and splashing.
4. Sensory bins: Fill a bin or container with various materials such as rice, beans, sand, or water beads. Let your child explore and play with different textures and objects.
5. Mud kitchen: Set up an outdoor space with old pots, pans, and utensils, and let your child create their own mud pies and meals.
6. Shaving cream art: Spread shaving cream on a table or tray and let your child draw designs or patterns with their fingers.
7. Ice painting: Freeze colored water in ice cube trays and let your child use the ice cubes to create colorful designs on paper.
8. Slime: Make your own slime or buy it from a store, and let your child stretch, squeeze, and mold it into different shapes.
9. Bubble play: Blow bubbles and let your child pop them or use a bubble machine for more bubbles.
10. Food play: Let your child explore different foods and textures by creating a “food play” station with items like cooked spaghetti, Jello, and pudding.

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