Messy Play Recipes
By Eri Akbar
Here are some simple and inexpensive recipes to keep the children busy with messy play!
Kinetic moon sand – Stir baby oil into flour until you reach a clumpy consistency. Then add one
drop of watercolour paint at a time (use different colours). The result is these droplets will look
like sprinkles as they won’t mix with the oil base.
Fluffy sand foam – This will be a hit with older children. Add shaving foam to sand to create a
fluffier consistency. Add a bit of paint and glitter to the foam first for some sparkle.
Rainbow unicorn slime – Mix half-cup white glue (preferably Elmer), one cap of Tide Simply
Clean & Fresh detergent (which contains borax) and a drop of food dye. Make a few portions so
you can have different colours. Layer them on top of one another and twist to create a rainbow
effect. You can add tiny foam beads for added texture.
Good old gloop – A must-try. Add water bit by bit to cornflour until the mixture falls off the
fingers in long, sticky drips. The quicksand effect never fails to amuse children. Add food dye for a
colourful effect.
Mashed wet chalk – Save bits of chalks and soak them in water. Then get children to mash them
up with potato mashers. Add wet strips of newspaper to create a more layered texture. This
makes a great outdoor activity.