Us mothers tell our kids, “No!” in many different ways about many different things. What if we could have one day a year where anything goes when it comes to getting messy?
And so the MESSY PARTY was born! Here are some great messy party activities that worked well for us.
Invitations: I usually use facebook, or an evite, invitation. I usually say something like this –
You are invited to a MESSY PARTY! This is the one day when mom will allow you to get as messy and as dirty as you can get! Be sure to come in your swimsuit and bring a towel. Also, ask mom to bring a snack to share with everyone. We can’t wait to see you!!
Prepare the House: Kids are going to have to go to the bathroom at some point, but I didn’t want water and gushy stuff all over my floor. I placed towels all along the floor creating a path straight to the bathroom. I also closed all the doors to other rooms in the house so little ones weren’t tempted to play with inside toys.
Stations: Think, “What is messy? What is something that I don’t normally allow my kids to do? AND what is just plain fun?”
#1. Swimming Pool: I always have a swimming station. This is the go-to place to rinse off and splash around before going to the next fun thing.
#2. Pasta Noodles: Slimy, sticky, floppy noodles coated with a little bit of vegetable oil. (So they don’t stick too badly to each othe.) I boil at least 2 boxes of spaghetti and then another 1-2 boxes of a different pasta, just for fun! In the past I tried putting the noodles in 2-3 large bowls, and that worked fine. This time I decided to try a small swimming pool. It worked well!
#3. Shaving Cream with cooking utensils: I spray the shaving cream onto cookies sheets and then place the little bowls, spoons, and cups around so the kids can use whatever they want.
#4. Gum drops and uncooked spaghetti: This was my son’s favorite station. (Although I think he ate more gum drops than anything else!) The idea is to build structures using the gum drops and spaghetti. The kids built all kinds of things!
#5. Painting: Paint, brushes, paper…it’s a mess just waiting to happen.
#6. Sandbox: Why not mix sand with a little bit of water? Add some cooking utensils, tractors, and shovels, and mud pies are sure to please the crowd.
#7. Create your own cupcake: So simple! I made cupcakes, bought some frosting, and put a few decoration goodies in a few bowls. The kids had so much fun decorating and then eating their cupcakes.
#8. Yummy, messy foods: Snacks are a must! Watermelon and peanut butter cracker sandwiches are easy, delicious, and messy.
#9. Slip-n-Slide: Be sure to cover it with dish soap. SOOOO much fun!!
#10. Always take a picture of the group of kids: I actually forgot to do this this time! I’m so mad at myself! But this is so important. It’s a great way to document time for our children. You never know what might happen in a year’s time. Plus, it’s neat to watch them grow.
Be ready to have a huge mess to clean up. After all, it WAS a Messy Party!!
