Toddlers love playing and they enjoy this activity more when mess is involved. Messy play is a part of childhood and is also a great learning tool. Here are five toddler games you must include on your toddler’s next play date.

Mud Pies

On a bright sunny day, go outside and make your own mud pies. Provide plastic spades, trowels, watering cans and containers such as aluminum foil pie tins and terracotta pots (to shape the pies) and some beads, sticks, rocks, flowers, leaves and other natural items to decorate the mud pies. Let the toddlers mix sand, dirt, potting soil and water to make the mud. Once they are done decorating, set the finished mud pies in the sun to bake.

Finger Painting

This is a classic messy game every toddler will love. Not only is finger painting a fun game but it also stimulates a toddler’s sensory and creative abilities. Prepare non-toxic washable finger paints in every color, cut-up sponge, bits of cloth and papers. Let the toddlers go crazy mixing paint with lots of water and letting them wash it onto their desired canvas. The children can use their hands, fingers and even their feet to create a masterpiece. Show them how you can use these prints to make pictures and patterns. Hang their artworks to dry and ask each toddler to give a brief explanation of his work of art. When it is time to leave, let the toddlers take them home as a souvenir of a fun and messy play date.

Mystery Piñatas

Use brown paper bags or dark-colored plastic bags to make piñatas. Place a different mystery item (they can be wet or dry items such as confetti, whipped or shaving cream or popped popcorn) in every bag along with some small gift items (e.g. stickers, eraser, keychain, etc.) or wrapped treats such as candies and chocolates and hang them to a tree branch or pole. Blindfold one toddler and give him a tennis racket or a small bat to smack the bag. Turn him around to make him a bit disoriented and then tell the toddler to swing at the bag. Once the contents of the bag fall, let the others gather around to get their prizes. After that, you can hang another piñata and repeat the game until every toddler has had the chance to take a swing.

Shaving Foam

Place a big storage tub or an inflatable pool in your garden. Give each toddler a can of shaving foam and let them squirt shaving foam into the container. You can add a few drops of food coloring to change the color and give them large plastic spoons or spades and a pail to play with. Or, they can just use their hands to scoop the slime.

Spaghetti Tag

Provide cooked spaghetti and start the game by giving a toddler a bag of spaghetti in his hands. He must tag others by making a piece of spaghetti stick to the players. Toddlers who are tagged must take out the spaghetti from their body and tag someone else with it.

These games may cause mayhem in your home and in children but messy play is a great way for toddlers to have fun while developing skills that are beneficial for their development.