Messy Play Ideas for 1 Year Olds

Looking for messy play ideas for 1 year olds? Check out these DIY activities, from sensory bins to edible play, perfect for this age!

Does it feel like you and your 1 year old do the same basic things every day? You take him to the park, run some errands, read the same books, and play with the usual toys. You’re a fan of routine, but after months of the same activities, you’re looking for fun activities to do at home.

Particularly, “messy” play ideas.

You’ve noticed that he loves to explore with his hands, whether it’s splashing in the tub or digging them in the sandbox. You don’t mind messy play so long as it’s fairly reasonable to clean up (or if there’s a way to prevent a big mess to begin with). And the less prep, the better.

Messy play ideas for 1 year olds

I hear you, friend. I understood the benefits of messy play, but couldn’t fathom the idea of cleaning up the ensuing mess. Thankfully, I still found plenty of ways to encourage sensory play in a safe and less messy way.

But as always, the most important factor with any kind of play with kids this age is supervision. Messy play sometimes means that they might want to put things into their mouths, or that they could be near water. Monitor your young child’s activity as she plays.

At the same time, try to balance it with healthy and safe boundaries for her to explore without you worrying or saying “no” all the time. For instance, setting up a sensory table in the backyard allows her to explore in ways that she can’t if she were in a carpeted living room.

So, below are some easy messy play ideas for 1 year olds. Hopefully, you can find several ideas to try with your little one:

1. Play outdoors

I’m a big fan of getting kids outdoors, whether it’s to kick a ball around, explore nature, or get messy with their hands. For instance, are you planting a few plants in the yard? Pour some fresh soil into a bucket so that your one-year-old can play with it. (You can even add some water to make mud for a different texture.)

Raking some leaves? Gather a few in a small pile that he can walk and jump on and show him how to crinkle the dried leaves in his hands. Pulling some weeds? Enlist his help in pulling some, too.

And of course, take a trip to a nearby nature outing. He can play with endless sand at the beach or explore the outdoors on a hike.

Check out these outdoor activities for 18 month old toddlers.

Free printables: Out of ideas on what to do with your little one? Join my newsletter and grab your printable calendar of fun and simple play activities! Check them off as you go along, or use the blank template to add your own ideas. Get it below—at no cost to you:

2. Edible play

One concern with messy play ideas for 1 year olds is that kids this age love putting things in their mouths. And while supervision is key, you also don’t want your child to put something potentially toxic or that he can choke on.

A simple remedy is to use food items for taste-safe play. That way, it would be edible if he happens to put it in his mouth. Here are a few ideas:

Jello dig. Place small plastic toys and pour Jello inside. Once it sets, he can dig into it.
Paint with yogurt. Squeeze a few drops of food coloring into different bowls of yogurt and mix. Then, have him use his hands to “paint” on a large baking sheet or high chair tray. You can also do the same with whipped cream.
Make homemade play dough. While nearly every play dough is non-toxic, you can make your own with simple recipes like flour, salt, oil, cream of tartar, and food coloring.

3. Water play

Playing with water can be so much fun! Avoid huge messes by picking appropriate spots, from out on the patio to the bathtub. You can even dress your child in bathing suits if you expect her to get really wet. Here are a few activities to get you started:

Pour water. Place a large bowl on a baking sheet. Then, fill a measuring cup with water, and have her pour it into the ball. Refill the measuring cup until your bowl is full.
Have a “car wash.” Add soap to a bowl of water and use it to wash your child’s cars (or other water-safe small toys). Use a washcloth or brush to clean the toys.
Squeeze water from a sponge. Fill a bowl or bucket with water and show her how to squeeze water out of a sponge. Stick to sponges without a rough side for easier soaking and squeezing.
Play with ice. Fill a tub or cooler with ice and let her explore as it melts. She can even take chunks of ice and toss them onto the plants (this is perfect for emptying coolers of ice after a party).
Play with ice cubes. Add food coloring to differentiate between the cubes.
Add lemons and limes to water. Place slices of citrus inside a bowl of water. She can handle the fruit slices and smell their unique scents, too.

4. Sensory bins

Dig your hands into different textures! Sensory bins can make for messy play but in a contained way. Yes, your child might spill grains of rice, but this can be simple to clean up if you lay a large trash bag below the bin. You can also play outdoors, where messes aren’t as noticeable.

Dried beans or rice, kinetic sand, Oobleck or slime, or even herbs like rosemary and lavender are a few sensory play ideas to fill the sensory tubs. Add small toys for imaginative play or a game of hide and seek. You can also bring out small cups and spoons for scooping.

Check out more sensory activities for 1 year olds.

5. Use household items

Messy play doesn’t just have to be about slime and sensory bins. You can have fun with items in your house as well.

For instance, use cardboard boxes and use them to make tunnels and forts to crawl through, or as a place to scribble crayons or use finger paints on. Make a game where you hide particular toys (like blocks) within a room and your child has to find them.

Collect junk mail and show your little one how to crinkle them with his hands, or cut them into smaller pieces to practice gluing onto another sheet.

6. Finger painting

Open ended play with finger painting is a fantastic way to encourage curiosity and imagination. Bring out finger paints that your child can mix and apply onto a large sheet of paper or flattened cardboard box. You can pour a few globs of paint onto a paper plate, and he can use his fingers or a brush to make art.

Worried about the mess? Do this sensory play activity in a room with easy-to-clean floors, and dress him in a smock or even just his diapers. Bathe him soon after the activity so he doesn’t spread the paint elsewhere. And use large sheets of paper so he has less chance of painting beyond the canvas.

Conclusion

You can have plenty of messy fun without the headache of a massive clean up! Playing outdoors combines hands-on activities with the benefits of being in nature. Edible play like a Jello dig and painting with yogurt make for safe (and yummy!) activities.

Splash in the water like having a toy car wash and playing with ice cubes. Dried beans or kinetic sand are great additions to sensory bins. Finger painting encourages creativity, while household items can be reused for play.

No more doing the same things every day, friend! Now you can have some messy play ideas—without the massive clean up afterward.

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