help messy play

[dkredbaron]

Hi all need advice one of our parents hates us using food for our messy play OFSTED love it what do i do?im thinking that i should do other things with messy play apart from food.so i need your ideas for messy play with out food so that i can keep both sides happy

[tutu]

we have a box just inside the setting where people put flour. lentils. cornflour, jellies, rice couscous anything that is out of date we also have a deal with the local corner shop. the best one though is making dough from coffee grounds! go to the coffee shop ask for some and add oil and a tad of flour and you get the best dough, also soap flakes add hot water then leave overnight add paint etc

[Ruthierhyme]

Hiya,

• Gloop - cornflour?
• Grated soap & tissue paper
• Shaving foam and powdered paint
• Hay and sand
• Sawdust and mud
• Fingerpaint - handprints, foot prints -
• wellies and washable door mats, covered in paint for squishing and printing
• Bubbly water and glitter + shaving foam is a good extra for this- squirt on the surface & under the water.
• Peat, leaves and flowerpots as shakers
• Vege gel made up with water & coloured ice cubes go well - the vege gel will need preparation/setting time though - & may need to check if this is thought of as a food.
• Seaweed - sand & water if you're coastal
• Short chunky wool lengths and water/paint can be good alternative for spaghetti.
• Shredded paper
• Shredded foil
• Sieves/sifts - sand and flour .. flour may be considered as a part food.
• Flour and water - and paint in syringes.
• Aromatic leaves added to mediums for messy play - Lavendar, rosemary, different varieties of mint, artemisia, chives ..
• Water Gel Crystals - need to check or ask to make sure packet is non toxic - child friendly.
• Articifial snow - tends to only be available seasonally

Some messy play for the younger children is food/edible, but is disguised eg. custard & rolled oats playdough,

Hope it's ok, I came across this page when looking for other ideas - messy play from NZ's ECE.. its excellent for info & UKs Children's centre messy play page

Have fun xx

[dkredbaron]

Thankyou both so much your lifesavers this will help me loads,neaver used shaving foam will any kind do ?

[tutu]

i buy the one for sensitive skin BUT if im doing it in a plastic bag then the cheapest

[maat2]

Whats coffee grounds tutu ? and how much oil and flour? this sounds interesting

Originally Posted by tutu

we have a box just inside the setting where people put flour. lentils. cornflour, jellies, rice couscous anything that is out of date we also have a deal with the local corner shop. the best one though is making dough from coffee grounds! go to the coffee shop ask for some and add oil and a tad of flour and you get the best dough, also soap flakes add hot water then leave overnight add paint etc

[sebseb]

Originally Posted by tutu

we have a box just inside the setting where people put flour. lentils. cornflour, jellies, rice couscous anything that is out of date we also have a deal with the local corner shop. the best one though is making dough from coffee grounds! go to the coffee shop ask for some and add oil and a tad of flour and you get the best dough, also soap flakes add hot water then leave overnight add paint etc

hi tutu

can you tell me what the soap flakes are. do you buy it as soap flakes or do you make it??????

thankyou

[wcandice28]

1.) Shaving Foam
It doesn't get much easier than this. Squirt a can or two of shaving foam into a large container (we used a paddling pool, but a large storage tub would do) and let the kids go to town on it. You can add drops of food colouring to swirl about, or spades, spoons and containers to play with. Best done outdoors.

2.) Super Silk
Mix a few cups of cornflour with a few cups of water (add the water slowly). Vary the amounts until you get a consistency like thick custard, then add some food colouring. This stuff is totally weird; if you let it sit in a container it is a solid, but when you try to pick it up it trickles through your fingers like a liquid.

3.) Water Play
Kids always seem drawn to water. You don't need a fancy water-play table; any large container will do the job. Provide a variety of other household items such as sieves, spoons, buckets, bowls, cups, ladles and pots. You can also try dying the water different colours or adding glitter to it for another dimension.

I hope these ideas help you out.