19 Feb Embrace the Mess by Brittany Nelson
Messy play with babies and toddlers may sound daunting. Yes, you will likely to end up with a dirty floor and a little kid who needs a bath. But a messy play is very important for development and can be so much fun!
Messy play is important because it helps babies with their sensory development. They need to discover the world around them, and messy play allows for exploration and creativity.
You can find a wide variety of messy play activities online, but two I have enjoyed recently are baby gak and fun with Jell-O. Both of these taste friendly in case your baby is in the “put everything in my mouth” stage.
Baby gak is easy and the required ingredients are likely already in your kitchen. You just need cornstarch and water (2 parts cornstarch to one part water) and you can add food coloring if you’d like. If you have a toddler, you can also add mega blocks or other toys that allow for scooping and stacking. This activity gets everywhere, but it cleans up easily and is fun for a baby because of the funky texture.
For Jell-O play, just hide plastic baby toys in the Jell-O. Once it’s set, your child has to put their hands in to get the toys out. At first, my toddler just kept poking the surface because he liked watching it jiggle. Once I showed him, he could stick his hands in, he went crazy. It was very sticky, but we had a ton of fun.
Messy play may require an extra bath and a few minutes of cleanup, but when your child laughs and has a great time, it’s definitely worth it. Embrace the mess!
Brittany Nelson is the co-founder of GWG. After many years of volunteering in international ministry, she became excited about helping other young women discover their passion. Brittany is a Jr. HR Generalist at a consulting firm in the DC area. She spends her free time exploring DC and going to Washington Wizards games with her husband, Paul.
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