We moms tend to freak out (just a tad) when we see our kids headed for a major mess. Calm down and get over it because these activities are tons of fun. Once you see what a blast they're having, you won't care about the mess — at least until it's time for cleanup.
Fill a pool with shaving cream
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Image credit: The Little Legers
Do you have an extra couple of cans of shaving cream on your hands? If not, run out to the store and buy a few cans of the cheap stuff because this super-fun and super-messy activity from The Little Legers can't be missed.
Play with your food
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Image credit: My Little Bakers in Training
How much time do you spend telling your kids not to play with their food? Imagine how much they would freak out if you made food just for them to play with? That's exactly what the mama over at My Little Bakers in Training did, and as you can tell, her kids had a blast.
Paint on the windows
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Image credit: Likely Classroom
Painting on paper is so yesterday. Instead, let them paint on the windows like the blogger over at Likely Classroom did. We know, it sounds like a horrifying mess, but she promises it cleans up with soap and water.
Play in the mud
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Image credit: Growing A Jeweled Rose
Image credit: Those rainy days are such a temptation for little ones. Just this once, say "yes" instead of "no." The blogger at Growing A Jeweled Rose took it a little further, building a mud wonderland in her backyard. Head over to her blog to see what we're talking about.
Build a volcano... in the bathtub
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Image credit: Growing A Jeweled Rose
We've all built those exploding volcanoes a time or two, so we know from experience they're a giant mess. The blogger at Growing A Jeweled Rose doesn't do anything halfway, though. She built a volcano, complete with painted scenery, in her bathtub. And then she let her daughter get in there, too. How fun is that? At least the cleanup for this one had to be a little easier, considering it was contained in the tub.
Play with shaving cream art
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Image credit: Thrifty Nifty Mommy
Shaving cream is good for a lot of messy projects, and Thrift Nifty Mommy used it for some arts and crafts. Looks like her daughter had a great time mixing up the shaving cream and paint, as well as transferring it over to a piece of paper.
Play with toys in Jell-O
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Image credit: The Craft Train
The mom over at The Craft Train really knows how to make a mess. She let her kids mix different colors of Jell-O, and then use the mess as a setting for their toy dinosaurs. As moms, we know it's probably a big, sticky mess, but it also looks like a really fun activity.
Paint with squirt bottles
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Image credit: Mess for Less
Painting with kids is messy enough, but add in squirt bottles and bad aim, and you've got a recipe for disaster. It sure looks like the kids from Mess for Less are having a great time, though.
Jump in a puddle
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Image credit: Fit Kids Clubhouse
You don't always need a big setup for your kids to have fun and get dirty. The next time you're out on a rainy day and you see a big puddle, tell your kids to go for it. The blogger over at Fit Kids Clubhouse did, and it doesn't look like she regrets it.
More on messes
Ways to manage sticky toddler messes
What moms really think while cleaning
10 Times moms were grateful for bleach