Finally! It's that time of year when you spend more time outdoors than in. Now you can say "yes" to those activities you said "no" to all year because they were too messy for, well, anywhere with walls. Kids will love these ideas for messy play, and so will you, because hey; clean up is easier outside.
Fizzy Foaming Car Wash
Here's a fun, messy activity kids can enjoy using a water table and a few simple, household items. Fun at Home With Kids walks you, er drives you, through the steps needed to create a foamy, fizzy kiddie car wash that is sure to keep little hands busy for hours.
Squirt Gun Painting
Squirt guns plus paint—need we say more? What kid wouldn't love an activity that involves these two staples of childhood? Fireflies and Mudpies shows you how to set up a summer fun sure thing. They even include tips for how to make your squirt gun painting session go off without a hitch.
Glow in the Dark Chalk
Every kid on Earth loves chalk. Ditto things that glow in the dark. Growing a Jeweled Rose is behind the genius idea of combining the two. The fun with glow in the dark chalk starts with creating it. Believe it or not, the recipe is easy, but messy, as promised! And the result? An incredible night under the stars your kids won't soon forget!
Water Balloon Paint Party
Filling water balloons with water is so, yawn! Pump up the fun factor with Growing a Jeweled Rose's idea to fill balloons with paint. Don't forget to wear white T-shirts, so you can measure who is the most covered in paint at the end.
Water Table Paint and Print
No Time for Flashcards has another super idea for using your water table this summer: it's a painting and printing activity little kids will love. Your mini-Picassos get their hands awesomely messy with paint and create prints to display or give as gifts to grandma and grandpa!
Rainbow Bubble Wrap Tree
We dare you to ask your kids this question: "Who wants to paint a tree?" Have the screams died down yet? Twodaloo has a unique idea for combining sensory play, messy art and nature to produce the most awesome experience ever for kids. Ahem, parents, we think you'll be tempted to join in on the fun.
Mud Painting
Of all the messy outdoor activities featured here, this one takes the cake, or mud pie, actually. Learn, Play, Imagine has the recipe for unforgettable, gloriously yucky fun with mud painting. One expert tip: watch out for worms in the mud!
Edible Ooey Gooey Worms
What kid wouldn't want to squish and mush gooey worms in mud that are actually edible? The Measured Mom knows how to create sensory fun that is deliciously yucky. Seriously, your little ones will think you are a hero if you let them spend the afternoon exploring the ickiest of all outdoor activities!
Rainbow Glitter Sidewalk Paint
You won't believe how easy (and awesomely fun!) it is to make rainbow glitter sidewalk paint. This project is a perfect way to pass a summer afternoon outside, and The Imagination Tree shows you how to do it. Creativity, here you come!
Shaving Cream Slip N Slide
Plain Vanilla Mom offers her recipe for oh so messy summer fun: a shaving cream slip n slide. Your slippery sweeties will be talking about the afternoon you spent executing this idea all summer!
