Download the PDF at the bottom of the page for the printable messy play food chart. Or, create your own with the following criteria:
- Date
- Food type
- Response to session
- Future plan
The stages of messy play with food, for each of the above criteria, are:
- Pretend food play
- Dry food play
- Wet food play: Wet tacky, wet semi solid, wet liquid, wet mixed textures
Guidelines for messy play with food
- substances used in Messy Play activities are suited to the child’s swallowing abilities, in case they try to eat them
- the child should be comfortable with each stage before progressing to the next
Stages in Food Play Progression
Stage one: Pretend food play – play shop and tea party using toy food of different textures – plastic, wood
and material. Imaginative play using favourite toys at a tea party.
Stage two: Dry food play – progressing from coarse to increasingly fine dry textures – cereals (Rice Krispies,
shredded wheat, cornflakes, porridge oats) uncooked pasta, dried beans and peas, hard sweets,
lentils, flour, rice cakes.
Transition from dry to wet consistencies can be aided by use of utensils, gloves as required.
Stage three: Wet food play – firm wet textures through to liquids and mixed textures. For example:
- firm wet consistencies (bread dough, marzipan)
- wet, tacky consistencies (cooked pasta, lentils soaked overnight, semolina added to cold
water, instant mashed potato) - wet, semi-solid consistencies (set custard, jelly, mousse, angel delight, yoghurt, jam)
- wet, liquid consistencies (pouring custards, pouring cream, treacle, melted chocolate)
- wet, mixed textures (pasta and sauce, rice pudding, pizza with a topping, cream, tomato
sauce, custard, treacle, chocolate spread and yoghurt mixed with hundreds and thousands,
cooked cold spaghetti, biscuits)
Equipment ideas
Common household utensils and simple toys can be used to further develop the possibilities of
messy play eg: toy animals, vehicles, moulds, rolling pins, blunt knives, sieves, pastry cutters,
measuring jugs, funnels, balls to roll, different sized containers, fruit and vegetable printing
shapes.
Top tips for messy play
- sessions should have a predictable beginning and end (collecting materials, and cleaning the
table, washing hands) - prepare and set up the activity to reduce clearing up time afterwards
- help model play possibilities, but support the free play of the child
- allow plenty of time
- wear old clothes or few clothes
- it should be fun and messy in a stress-free environment
- join in!
Download the PDF leaflet:
