6 to 12 months15 minutes
1. Warm cooked pasta feel
Cook penne, shells and elbows until soft, cool them fully, then let your baby squeeze, mouth and transfer the different shapes between containers.
Cook every piece until it squashes easily between two fingers, and stay close while they mouth it.
You’ll need: cooked pasta, a bin, a spoon
Mess level: some · Clean-up: 5 minutes
How to play
- Cook and cool a few different pasta shapes and say “you feel them.”
- Hand over a piece and narrate: “squishy when wet, hard when dry!”
- Offer different shapes for them to compare by reaching and grabbing.
- Give them a bin to pour pasta between, then gather up once interest fades.
6 to 12 months15 minutes
2. Pasta squish and pour
Put a small handful of cooled pasta in front of your baby and let them squish, pull apart and drop the strands entirely on their own terms.
You’ll need: cooled cooked pasta, a highchair or mat, a bib
Mess level: some · Clean-up: 5 minutes
Say this: “Pasta, squish it!” · “You are pulling it apart.” · “What does it feel like?”
1 to 2 years10 minutes
3. Mud kitchen soup
Outside, give your toddler a tub of water with a handful of dirt stirred in and a stick to make “soup” with. Full commitment to the pretend tasting is entirely the point.
You’ll need: a tub, a stick, water, a handful of dirt
Mess level: lots · Clean-up: 10 minutes, plus a bath
How to play
- Set the tub up outside and add water plus a handful of dirt.
- Hand over the stick and say “stir the soup!”
- Pretend to taste it together: “delicious mud soup!”
- Tip it out when finished and head straight for a bath or hose down.
6 to 12 months15 minutes
4. Jelly dig
Hide small toys inside a bowl of firm jelly and let your baby dig in to find them. The jiggle and the surprise both do a lot of the work here.
This one is taste-safe for under-2s, but check for allergies before offering a new food as play, and supervise the whole time.
You’ll need: a large batch of firm jelly, small toys, a bin or tray, a bib
Mess level: lots · Clean-up: 10 minutes
Say this: “It jiggles!” · “Find the treasure!” · “You found one!”
1 to 2 years10 minutes
5. Splash tray
Fill a baking tray with about a centimetre of water, drop in a few plastic toys, and let your toddler splash and “rescue” them from the shallow water. A towel underneath keeps it contained.
You’ll need: a baking tray, water, plastic toys
Mess level: some · Clean-up: 5 minutes
How to play
- Fill the tray with a shallow layer of water.
- Add four or five small plastic toys.
- Let them splash and fish the toys back out.
- Keep a towel under the tray throughout.
1 to 2 years20 minutes
6. Bubble whip and swirl
Whisk water and washing-up liquid into a tall mountain of bubbles and let your child swirl a finger through it, watching the foam collapse and rebuild.
Washing-up liquid can irritate eyes and tummies, so supervise closely and keep water nearby to rinse if needed.
You’ll need: water, washing-up liquid, a bowl, a whisk
Mess level: some · Clean-up: 5 minutes
Say this: “Whisk the bubbles high.” · “Swirl your finger.” · “Watch them pop.”
3 to 4 years10 minutes
7. Magic disappearing painting
Dip a paintbrush in plain water and “paint” onto a fence or paving slab outside. The picture darkens as it appears, then vanishes as it dries: an entirely mess-free way to paint as often as they like.
You’ll need: a paintbrush, a cup of water, an outside fence or paving slab
Mess level: none · Clean-up: none
How to play
- Dip the brush in water.
- Paint a picture on the fence or stone.
- Watch together as it dries and disappears.
- Start again with a new picture.
3 to 4 years10 minutes
8. Slime from cornflour
Mix cornflour and water gradually until it turns into oobleck: solid when squeezed, liquid when relaxed. Let your child stretch, snap and drip it to their heart’s content.
You’ll need: 1 cup cornflour, half a cup of water, optional pigment
Mess level: lots · Clean-up: 10 minutes
Say this: “Stretch it!” · “Snap!” · “Hard then soft!”
3 to 4 years10 minutes
9. Spaghetti sensory bowl
Cool a small portion of cooked spaghetti, tip it into a tub, and let your child squish, sort and build with the strands. The reaction usually goes from “ewww” to “more!” within about thirty seconds.
You’ll need: cooked spaghetti, a tub, optional food colouring
Mess level: lots · Clean-up: 10 minutes
6 to 12 months15 minutes
10. Hummus swirl surprise
Spread hummus flat on a highchair tray and let your baby pat, swirl and smear it. Offer pita to dip so eating and playing happen at the same time.
This one is taste-safe for under-2s, but check for any known allergies first.
You’ll need: plain hummus, a highchair tray, pita or crackers, a bib
Mess level: lots · Clean-up: 10 minutes, plus a wipe-down chair
How to play
- Spread a small handful of hummus flat and say “creamy white!”
- Tap your finger in it: “pat, pat, pat, it’s soft!”
- Hand over control and let them swirl and poke.
- Offer pita to dip, and let it get properly messy before cleaning up.
