Are you ready for a new and exciting
way to play? I have been playing around with the ‘Moon Sand’ recipe and came up
with this taste-safe play soil. It’s perfect for garden themed messy play and
babies and toddlers will love it! Why don’t you have go at making some? Keep
reading to find all the details you need to make my taste safe ‘Play Soil’ and
Spaghetti ‘Worms’ for garden themed messy play.
Moon Sand has been super popular on
social media lately. But after enjoying a garden themed Tiny Talk class, I
decided to extend the learning and make a messy play tray! I have changed the
ingredients of Moon Sand to make a fabulous smelling and taste safe ‘play
soil’. I even included some Rainbow Spaghetti for worms, as well as fake ivy
and gardening tools.
What is messy play?
Messy play is a type of activity for
babies and toddlers that includes messier than usual play materials. It can
include anything that is safe for a baby or toddler to be around. For example,
household objects, baking supplies, toys, spaghetti, flour, cereal, jelly,
edible paint and anything else you can think of!
Why is messy play important?
Messy play is perfect for stimulating
you child’s senses, encouraging exploration of new textures, and supporting the
development of fine and gross motor skills.
So how do I make the Taste Safe Play Soil &
Spaghetti Worms?
This messy play tray is perfect for babies and
toddlers from 6 months old. It uses taste-safe ingredients you are likely to
have in the cupboard and provides a brand new and exciting invitation to play. My
taste-safe ‘play soil’ and spaghetti ‘worms’ only take 20 minutes to set up! So
what are you waiting for? Grab the recipes below!
Taste Safe Soil Recipe
First up is the recipe for my taste
safe Play Soil.
Ingredients:
- 2kg plain flour
- 100g cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
- 400ml vegetable oil
Instructions:
1.
Combine the dry ingredients in an
extra large mixing bowl
2.
Slowly mix in the oil until you have
combined it into the dry mixture
3.
Now use your hands to rub the dry mix
and oil together until it makes a smooth, mouldable consistency
Spaghetti Worms
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pack of spaghetti
- 1 tube Dr Oetker’s RED gel food
colouring
Instructions
- Boil your spaghetti as per the packet
instructions.
- Once cooked, drain the spaghetti in a
colander
- Return the spaghetti to a saucepan
then add a big squirt of red gel food colouring
- Mix thoroughly with a fork until all
of the spaghetti is coated in red colouring.
- Rinse the coloured spaghetti with
cold water in a colander. This will set the colouring.
- Your spaghetti is now ready to play
with as a wet, floppy consistency. If you prefer a drier, tackier spaghetti pop
it into a freezer bag and store in the fridge for at least 1 hour
I kept my
spaghetti worms in the fridge overnight and they are great this morning! Perfect
for burying in the taste-safe play soil.
How to set up the garden themed messy play tray To make the garden
themed messy play tray, I tipped the whole bowl of taste-safe play soil onto
our tuff tray. If you don’t have a tuff tray, you can use a baking tray or keep
it in a large bowl. Then bury your spaghetti worms and add something green for
foliage. I liked using the faux ivy but you could easily whip a batch of green
spaghetti, green sensory rice, or simply buy some crafty leaves to add onto the
tray.
We also included
rocks that we found on a walk. My son collected them and washed them at home.
Then we painted bugs on the rocks. Once we were finished our messy play, I
helped my son add them to a rock bug colony that has been started in our
village. Why not start your own rock bug colony in a local green space? The
base of a tree or a tree stump are perfect places to set it up!
Gardening toys and
farm vehicles are always a big hit when digging in the play soil too. Use your
imagination and put your own twist on this garden themed messy play.
Top Tips for Clean up
You can use a clean dustpan and brush or simply
use your hands to scoop the soil up when playtime is over. Some soil will
likely end up on the floor, but it only takes five minutes to clean with a
hoover! You can keep your soil for a few days in an air tight container. But
it’s best to chuck the spaghetti worms into your compost bin when you’re done.
If you don’t have a tuff tray, why not place a
towel or blanket underneath the play area. Then you can lift the blanket in a
v-shape and pour the soil back onto a baking tray when you are finished.
Will you try this messy play tuff tray?
Will you try my taste safe play soil
and spaghetti worms for garden themed messy play? Tag me @crafytoddlercompany in your photos! I would love to see your play
set up! And remember to join the Crafty Toddler Community for more ideas and top tips!
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