Play soil and spaghetti worms for messy play
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 messy play.
Moon Sand has been super popular on social media lately. And after enjoying a garden themed Tiny Talk class, I decided it would be perfect to extend the learning and make a garden themed messy play tray! I changed the ingredients of Moon Sand to make a fabulous smelling and taste safe play soil. I even included some spaghetti 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! My play soil and spaghetti worms are perfect for this as they are made of taste-safe ingredients.
Why is messy play important?
Messy play is perfect for stimulating your child’s senses, encouraging exploration of new textures, and supporting the development of fine and gross motor skills. It’s also a great way to introduce boundaries and set limits. Even though the play soil and spaghetti worms are taste-safe, they aren’t edible. Keep reminding your child not to put them in their mouth. They are for playing, not eating. This will help your child learn what is appropriate in different situations. And it will keep them safe too!
How do I make the 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!
The Play Soil Recipe
First up is the recipe for my taste safe Play Soil. This soil is the perfect consistency for moulding and shaping. It also smells fantastic! It will stimulate all your child’s senses and encourage practicing those all important fine motor skills. Follow the instructions below to make your own!
Play Soil Ingredients:
- 2kg plain flour
- 250g cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
- 550ml vegetable oil
Play Soil Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients in an extra large mixing bowl
- Slowly mix in the oil until you have combined it into the dry mixture
- Now use your hands to rub the dry mix and oil together until it makes a smooth, mouldable consistency
The Spaghetti Worms Recipe
These spaghetti worms are perfect for burying in your play soil. They can be slimy or dry and tacky depending on your preference. Encourage your child to dig for the worms, pinch them in between their fingers and grab big handfuls. These are all great ways to strengthen fine and gross motor skills. Why not sing a nursery rhyme about a worm while you play? Wiggly Woo is one of our favourites!
Spaghetti Worms Ingredients:
- 1/2 pack of spaghetti
- 1 tube Dr Oetker’s RED gel food colouring
Spaghetti Worms 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 play soil and spaghetti worms messy play?
To set up the play soil and spaghetti worms messy play, 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 craft 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 and spaghetti worms too. Use your imagination and put your own twist on this play soil and spaghetti worms messy play tray.
Top Tips for cleaning up the play soil and spaghetti worms
Of course, messy play is messy! So here are my top tips for cleaning up your play soil and spaghetti worms. You can use a 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.
One way to keep mess out of the house, is to take your garden themed messy play into the garden! But when inside you can use a tuff tray. I got mine for only £20 on Amazon. 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.
Are you ready to make the play soil and spaghetti worms?
So there you have it! My taste-safe play soil and spaghetti worms for messy play. Will you try this exciting activity? I would love to see photos! Tag me @crafytoddlercompany in your photos! And remember to join the Crafty Toddler Community for more ideas and top tips!
