5 Engaging Messy Play Activities to Boost Development in Early Years

Messy play is exactly what it sounds like: hands-on, open-ended, sensory-rich play that lets toddlers explore materials without a fixed outcome or a right way to do it. Think paint, foam, dough, sand, water, cooked pasta, mud – all designed to create a mess. And the mess is the point. 

Messy play is one of the most developmentally valuable things you can offer in an early years setting. Not because it keeps children busy, but because it builds real skills across multiple areas of the EYFS framework, from physical development and communication to personal, social and emotional development, and expressive arts. 

This guide covers eight messy play activities for toddlers, each with a full equipment list, step-by-step instructions, how they link to the EYFS, and notes on what children are actually developing.  

Let’s get messy.  

What is messy play? 

Messy play is sensory, exploratory play using materials that engage the hands, body, and senses. there’s no end goal, no finished product, and no single correct way to do it. Children explore at their own pace, following their curiosity. 

Common messy play materials include: 

• Paint, foam, and clay 

• Sand, mud, and soil 

• Water, ice, and bubbles 

• Cooked pasta, rice, and flour mixtures 

• Dough, cloud dough, and cornflour slime 

What makes messy play distinct from other activities is its open-ended nature. A child squishing cloud dough is not just playing. They are experimenting with cause and effect, developing grip strength, processing sensory input, and often narrating what they are doing, all at once. 

The advantages of messy play 

Messy play supports children’s development across multiple domains simultaneously. it’s not a filler activity. it’s one of the most efficient ways to cover several areas of learning in one session. 

Messy play helps children develop:

Why messy play matters for EYFS 

Messy play maps naturally onto the EYFS prime areas, particularly Physical Development, Communication and Language, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development. It also feeds into all four specific areas depending on how the activity is framed. 

A child sorting coloured ice cubes is doing mathematics.  

A child describing what wet sand feels like is doing communication and language.  

A child mixing paint colours is doing expressive arts and design.  

The same tray of materials can generate observations across multiple areas in a single session. 

Messy play is not just about the activity. it’s about the rich observation opportunities it creates. Practitioners who use messy play well come away with meaningful evidence across several EYFS areas from one short session. 

Our favourite 8 messy play activities for toddlers 

Here’s what we consider to be the best messy play options for practitioners. Each activity below includes what you need, how to set it up, what children are developing, and which EYFS areas it supports. 

1. Shaving foam exploration

Shaving foam is a perennial favourite. The texture is unusual enough to be interesting, forgiving enough for hesitant children, and it wipes clean quickly. 

Equipment: 

• Shaving foam (non-mentholated) 

• Food colouring (optional) 

• Large tray or table surface 

• Aprons 

How to: 

1. Spray foam generously onto the tray. 
2. Add a few drops of food colouring if you want to introduce colour mixing. 
3. Let children explore freely. Encourage drawing lines, making handprints, or hiding small objects underneath. 

What children are developing: 

• Fine motor skills through spreading, dragging, and pinching 

• Sensory processing as they adjust to the texture, smell, and feel 

• Early mark-making, which links to Literacy 

2. Finger painting

A classic for good reason. Finger painting removes the barrier of a tool and lets children engage directly with colour and surface. 

Equipment: 

• Non-toxic, washable finger paints 

• Large sheets of paper or card 

• Aprons or old clothes 

How to: 

1. Lay paper on a flat surface and secure the corners. 
2. Put paint in shallow dishes within easy reach. 
3. Encourage children to use fingers, palms, and knuckles. there’s no wrong way. 

What children are developing: 

• Hand-eye coordination and finger strength 

• Colour recognition and early colour mixing 

• Creative self-expression and confidence 

3. Cloud dough

Cloud dough is made from flour and vegetable oil. It holds its shape when pressed but crumbles when released. That contrast is endlessly fascinating to toddlers. 

Equipment: 

• 8 cups of plain flour 

• 1 cup of vegetable oil 

• Large sensory tray 

• Moulds, cups, and spoons 

• Aprons 

How to: 

1. Mix flour and oil until the mixture is crumbly but mouldable. 
2. Tip into the tray and add tools. 
3. Let children scoop, fill, press, and tip at their own pace. 

What children are developing: 

• Pincer grasp and grip strength through scooping and moulding 

• Early mathematical concepts (full, empty, more, less) through measuring and pouring 

• Imaginative play as children create scenes and structures 

4. Sand and water sensory bin

Combining sand and water gives children two textures to compare and a natural invitation to experiment. Dry sand pours. Wet sand holds shape. The transition between the two is where the learning happens. This activity is also a perfect Tuff Tray idea for summer. 

Equipment: 

• Sand (play sand or kinetic sand) 

• Water in a small jug or spray bottle 

• Large sensory bin or tray 

• Scoops, funnels, cups, and small world figures 

How to: 

1. Fill the bin with sand. 
2. Provide water separately so children can add it themselves and observe the change. 
3. Add tools and small world figures to extend play into storytelling. 

What children are developing: 

• Scientific thinking through observing cause and effect 

• Mathematical language (heavy, light, full, empty) through pouring and measuring 

• Sustained concentration and independent exploration 

5. Spaghetti play

Cooked spaghetti has a slippery, wriggly texture that toddlers tend to find both hilarious and absorbing. it’s safe, inexpensive, and generates rich sensory responses. 

Equipment: 

• Cooked spaghetti, cooled 

• Large bowl or tray 

• Food colouring (optional, added to cooking water) 

• Aprons 

How to: 

1. Cook spaghetti, drain, and allow to cool completely. 
2. Add food colouring to the cooking water for visual interest. 
3. Tip into a tray and let children explore. Offer scissors for older toddlers to practise cutting. 

What children are developing: 

• Tactile tolerance and sensory processing 

• Fine motor skills through picking up, pulling apart, and (with scissors) cutting 

• Imaginative play, children often narrate stories about worms, hair, or monsters 

6. Mud kitchen play

Mud is one of the most natural sensory materials available and one of the most beneficial. Outdoor mud play connects children to the natural world, supports physical development, and builds resilience. 

Equipment: 

• Outdoor space with access to soil or a designated mud area 

• Old pots, pans, spoons, and jugs 

• Water source (watering can or tap) 

• Waterproof aprons and wellies 

How to: 

1. Set up a simple mud kitchen with pots and utensils. 
2. Add water so children can control the consistency of their mud. 
3. Step back and let children lead. The play will develop naturally. 

What children are developing: 

• Gross and fine motor skills through digging, stirring, and pouring 

• Scientific thinking as they observe how mud changes with water 

• Social skills through collaborative cooking and role play 

7. Ice excavation

Freeze small objects or coloured water into a block of ice and let children work to free them. The slow reveal keeps toddlers engaged for far longer than most activities. 

Equipment: 

• Water frozen in a container (add food colouring or small plastic figures before freezing) 

• Shallow tray to contain melt water 

• Salt, warm water, and pipettes or spoons for excavating 

• Aprons 

How to: 

1. Freeze water with small objects or colouring the day before. 
2. Place the ice block in the tray. 
3. Give children salt, warm water, and pipettes and let them discover how to melt the ice. 

What children are developing: 

• Early scientific thinking through hypothesis and observation 

• Fine motor control through using pipettes and spoons 

• Sustained attention and problem-solving 

8. Cornflour slime (oobleck)

Cornflour mixed with water creates a non-Newtonian fluid: solid when pressed, liquid when left alone. Children are fascinated by it. 

Equipment: 

• Cornflour 

• Water 

• Food colouring (optional) 

• Large tray or bowl 

• Aprons 

How to: 

1. Mix two parts cornflour to one part water until smooth. Add food colouring if desired. 
2. Pour into a tray and let children explore with their hands. 
3. Encourage children to press hard, then hold it loosely and watch it change. 

What children are developing: 

• Scientific curiosity and early understanding of material properties 

• Sensory processing and tolerance of unusual textures 

• Descriptive language as children try to explain what they are feeling 

Practical tips for messy play in your setting 

Here are a few things that make a real difference when running messy play regularly: 

• Set up before children arrive. Having the tray ready removes the transition gap and gets children engaged immediately. 

• Use a tuff tray or shower curtain underneath. It contains the mess and makes clean-up significantly faster. 

• Offer tools as well as hands. Spoons, spatulas, and brushes give children who are hesitant about direct contact a way in. 

• Narrate what you see. “You are squeezing the foam really hard. What does it feel like?” builds vocabulary and deepens the learning. 

• Photograph or note what you observe. Messy play generates rich evidence for EYFS assessments. Capture it while it’s happening. 

• Rotate materials. Children who have explored shaving foam many times will respond differently to oobleck. Novelty sustains engagement. 

A note on children who do not like messy play 

Not every child will want to dive in. That is completely normal, and it should never be forced. 

Some toddlers find certain textures overwhelming or uncomfortable. Sensory sensitivities are real, and children’s responses to messy play can vary significantly depending on their sensory processing, temperament, and prior experience. 

If a child is reluctant, try offering a tool instead of direct contact. Start with dry materials like sand or rice before introducing wet or sticky textures. Let them watch others first. Some children need several sessions of observation before they feel ready to join in, and that is a valid part of their process. 

The goal is never to get every child covered in paint. it’s to offer rich, open-ended experiences that children can access in their own way, at their own pace. 

Capturing messy play in your learning journals 

Messy play sessions are some of the most observation-rich moments in the early years day. A child scooping sand, narrating what they are doing, and adjusting their technique when it doesn’t work is demonstrating physical development, communication, and problem-solving all at once. 

The challenge is capturing that evidence without stepping out of the moment. 

eyworks supports practitioners to log quick observations during or immediately after activities, tag them to EYFS areas, and share highlights with parents through the eyparent app. That means the learning that happens in a messy play session doesn’t disappear when the tray gets cleared away.