Messy play activities stimulate the senses and help to increase sensory perception. These activities facilitate visual-motor integration and teaches children about cause and effect relationships.

Oatmeal Dough

Materials:

• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups dry oatmeal
• 1 cup water
• bowl

Directions: Mix the four and oatmeal together in a bowl. Slowly add the water and knead the dough. Expect a sticky consistency at first. Use the dough as you would any play dough.

Feely Bags

Materials:

• Sealable plastic bags
• Hair Gel
• Small plastic alphabet letters

Directions: Fill the bag half way with the hair gel. Add the letters to the bag, making sure that the letters of the child's name is included. Seal the bag and mix the letters up. Place the bag flat on a table top. Ask the child to spell his/her name by pushing the letters to the top of the bag. This can also be done with sight words and spelling words. The bags can be placed in the refrigerator for a colder temperature.

Glue Dough

Materials:

• 1/2 cup white glue
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• Bowl

Directions: Mix the glue and cornstarch together in a bowl and continue to knead until the dough is soft. You can roll out the dough, cut with cookie cutters, and let dry over night. The shapes can be painted and hung like ornaments. You can also roll out the dough into one large piece and let it dry over night. Then you may draw on it and practice cutting it with scissors.

Shaving Cream Fun

Materials:

• Balloon
• Shaving Cream

Directions: Blow up the balloon. Spray a small amount of shaving cream onto the table next to the balloon. Allow the child to paint the balloon with the shaving cream. The child can practice drawing funny faces on the balloon in the shaving cream.

Pumpkin Goop

Materials:

• 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• Pumpkin Spice
• Large shallow Tray

Directions: Pour the cornstarch into the tray. Add a pinch of pumpkin spice to the cornstarch. Slowly add the water and use your hands to mix the ingredients together. Notice the difference in texture as you play with the pumpkin goop.

Shampoo Dough

Materials:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup white glue
• 1/4 cup thick shampoo
• Bowl

Directions: Combine all ingredients in the bowl and knead. Add additional flour as needed while playing with dough.

Cinnamon Clay

Materials:

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup salt
• 1/3 cup water
• Food coloring
• Ground cinnamon
• Bowl

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in the bowl. Add additional flour as needed when playing with the dough.

Salt Pictures

Materials:

• Salt
• Colored chalk
• White glue
• Paper
• Paper plates (one plate per piece of colored chalk)

Directions: Pour salt in each of the paper plates. Rub the chalk into the salt until the salt turns color. Create a picture on the paper with the glue and cover with the colored salt. Shake off the excess colored salt and let dry.

Shaving Cream Painting

Materials:

• Shaving cream
• Vertical surface

Directions: Spread the shaving cream on the vertical surface with both hands. Practice drawing shapes, writing letters, and writing sight words in the shaving cream.

Mosaic Art

Materials:

• 1/4 cup white glue
• 1/4 cup water
• Paper cup
• Small squares of tissue paper in a variety of colors
• Paper plate
• Small piece of sponge

Directions: Mix the glue and water together in a paper cup. Dip the sponge in the mixture and spread it on the paper plate. Place the colored squares on the paper plate to make a design.

Snowy House

Materials:

• Salt
• White glue
• Colored construction paper
• Scissors

Directions: Help your child draw parts of a house on construction paper and cut them out. Glue the pieces together on an additional piece of paper to create a house. Spread glue on the top of the roof, windows, and door. Require your child to sprinkle the salt on the glue using his/her hands and let dry to create the snow.

Scented Clay

Materials:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• Water
• Peppermint, vanilla, almond, or cinnamon extract
• Food coloring
• Bowl

Directions: Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and knead to create clay. Choose a color of food coloring and type of extract and mix into the clay.

Coffee Filter Jelly Fish

Materials:

• Paper cup
• White coffee filter
• Fishing line
• Wax paper cut into strips (approximately 1 " x 8" in size)
• Scissors
• Scotch tape
• Blue, green, and purple markers
• Small plastic container
• Water

Preparation (An adult should complete the preparation steps): Poke two small holes in the bottom of the cup with the scissors. Thread a piece of fishing line through the holes and tie it to the cup. Fill the plastic container with water.

Directions: Hold the cup and tape the pieces of wax paper to the rim of the cup. Color the coffee filter with the markers. Dip the coffee filter into the water, remove it from the container, and squeeze the extra water out. Open the coffee filter and thread it onto the fishing line so that it rests on the paper cup. Allow the coffee filter to dry and then hang the project up to display.

Homemade Finger Paint

Materials:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 3/8 cup water
• Food coloring
• Popsicle stick
• Paper cup
• Large pieces of white paper

Directions: Combine the flour and water in a paper cup. Add food coloring and stir with the popsicle stick. If the mixture is too thick add more water. If the mixture is too thin add more flour. Allow the child to use the mixture as finger paint and create a design on the white paper.

Cotton Lamb

Materials:

• White glue
• Cotton balls
• Paper cup
• Q-tips
• Photo copied picture of a lamb
• Crayons

Directions: Color the lamb's face. Tear the cotton balls apart using the index finger and thumb on each hand. Pour some glue in a paper cup. Use the Q-tip to spread glue on the lamb. Place the pieces of cotton on the lamb and let dry. (You can also use your hands to spread the glue on the paper instead of a Q-tip.)

Textured Lion Pictures

Materials:

• White glue
• Crayons
• Photo copied picture of a lion's head
• Oak tag
• Kidney beans

Directions: Color the lion picture. Cut the lion picture out and glue it on the oak tag. Glue the beans around the lion's head to make the mane. Allow to dry. This activity can be completed with various different pictures animals and materials (sand, soil, shells, or pasta).

Finger Painting Fun

Materials:

• Large white paper
• Finger paint
• Black marker

Directions: Write sight words or a child's name on a large piece of white paper. Require the child to cover the letters using finger paint. The child should use his/her index finger to make dots on each line. Switch fingers to increase fine motor dexterity.

Colorful Bubbles

Materials:

• Large white paper
• Hand soap
• Water
• Food coloring
• Straw
• Plastic container

Directions: Pour some water into a plastic container. Mix in soap and food coloring. Practice blowing air through the straw. Place the straw into the bubble solution and blow bubbles. Once there is a large amount of bubbles, remove the straw. Place a piece of paper on top of the bubble mountain and remove to make colorful bubble imprints.

Coffee Clay

Materials:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup instant coffee
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 bowls

Directions: Dissolve the coffee in the warm water. In another bowl, mix the flour and the salt. Make a hole in this and add 1 cup of the coffee water into it. Mix with hands until smooth. Add more coffee water as needed. Form into creations and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour or until hard.

Powdered Painting

Materials:

• White paper
• Cotton balls
• Water
• Plastic cups
• Powdered tempera paint
• Paper plates

Directions: Pour water into the plastic cup and powdered tempera paint into the paper plate. Dip the cotton ball into the water and then into the paint. Paint a picture on white paper while holding the cotton ball using the "writing fingers" (thumb, index finger, and middle finger). This activity may also be completed using an ice cube instead of a cotton ball and water.

Picture Frame

Materials:

• Small wooden picture frame with no glass
• Paint brush or small piece of a sponge
• Wood paint
• Decorations (sequins, sparkles, foam shapes, ect.)
• Craft glue
• Photo

Directions: Paint and decorate the frame. Allow to dry and place the photo in the frame. This is a great holiday gift for a loved one!

Handprint Art

Materials:

• Finger paint
• Paint brush
• Large pieces of white paper

Directions: Allow the child to paint his or her non-dominant hand using a paintbrush.

Make hand prints on a large piece of paper. Once the paper dries it can be used to make a card, as wrapping paper, or as a decorative placemat.

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String Art

Materials:

• Clothespin
• Yarn
• Tempera Paint
• Small bowl
• White Paper
• Scissors

Directions: Put some tempera paint into a small bowl. Cut a piece of yarn about 6 inches long. Attach the yarn to the clothespin. Hold the clothespin and dip the yarn into the paint. Drag the yarn across the paper with the paint to decorate. Allow paper to dry. Cut the paper to create a shape or design.

Fall Trees

Materials:

• Large white paper
• Brown, yellow, orange, and red tempera paint
• Four small bowls
• Crayons
• Straw
• Spoon

Directions: Draw a tree on the paper and color the trunk brown. Put some paint in each of the bowls. Spoon the paint onto the tree to make the leaves. Blow through the straw in order to spread the paint to create leaves. Allow the project to dry.

Homemade Puffy Painting

Materials:

• Large piece of oak tag
• 2 cups nonmentholated shaving cream
• 1/3 cup white glue
• 2 tablespoons washable tempera paint
• Glitter
• Medium sized bowl

Directions: Mix shaving cream, glue, and paint in the bowl until the color is well blended. Make a new mixture for each desired color. Make designs on the paper using the puffy paint like finger paint. Decorate with sparkles and allow to dry.

Coffee Filter Turkeys

Materials:

• White coffee filters
• Washable markers
• Eye droppers
• Water
• Cups
• Construction paper
• Glue stick
• Paper plates

Directions: Place a coffee filter on a paper plate. Using washable markers, color the coffee filter. Pour water into a cup and use the eye dropper to transfer the water onto the coffee filter. Watch the colors combine and swirl together. Allow the coffee filter to dry. Repeat to make multiple coffee filters. Cut out a turkey body, face, and feet using construction paper. Assemble the turkey and glue onto a larger piece of construction paper.

An Indoor Snowman

Materials:

• 1/2 cup white glue
• 1/2 cup nonmentholated shaving cream
• Plastic cup
• Plastic spoon
• Black construction paper
• White crayon
• Sparkles

Directions: Draw a picture of a snowman on the black construction paper using the crayon. Mix the shaving cream and glue together in the cup using the spoon. Scoop the thick mixture onto the black construction paper and spread out with the spoon to cover the snow man. Decorate with sparkles and allow to dry.

Cloud Dough

Materials:

• Flour and baby oil at a ratio of 8:1
• (i.e. 4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup baby oil)
• Large bowl

Directions: Mix flour and baby oil in a large bowl. Mold it like clay or use sand toys to create designs. The cloud dough can be stored uncovered and reused multiple times.

Rainbow Linguine

Materials:

• Cooked Linguine
• Vegetable Oil
• Ziplock Bags
• Food Coloring
• Trays

Directions: Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Strain the spaghetti and toss it with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Place the spaghetti into ziplock bags. Add food coloring, close the bag, and shake to mix. Place the spaghetti on a tray to play with.

Clean Mud

Materials:

• Baking Soda
• Water
• Bowl

Directions: Pour the baking soda into a bowl. Slowly add water and mix to create a mud-like texture. Be careful not to add too much water to avoid creating a liquid mixture.

Ice Cream Dough

Materials:

• 3/4 Cup Hair Conditioner
• 1 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
• Food Coloring
• Bowl
• Spoon

Directions: Mix the conditioner, cornstarch, and food coloring together in a bowl. Blend until ice cream like consistency. Mold into ice cream cones and add beads as toppings.