Teaching children how to properly wash their hands is essential for messy projects. To begin, make certain you have dry paper towels ready to dry wet hands. Next, show children how to turn on the water to a warm temperature. Show children exactly how much soap they will need to get their hands clean; to children, soap is yet another ooey gooey substance to play with, so they often use more than is necessary. Demonstrate how to wash hands by rubbing them together briskly, emphasizing trouble spots such as between fingers and beneath fingernails, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Sing a song while washing hands so that children wash them long enough to kill germs, or at least 20 seconds. (A few rounds of "Old MacDonald" will work well.) Once hands are rinsed, show children how to dry their hands completely with a clean towel and then use the towel to turn off the tap. Encourage children to wash their hands before and after their favorite messy projects.
Let children get their hands dirty with a creative cooking activity by helping them make snickerdoodles. Bring in store-bought sugar cookie dough or make your own recipe with their help. Set out dishes of cinnamon and sugar, as well as some sprinkles. Show children how to roll the cookie dough in their hands to make a ball. Encourage them to dip the balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture or the sprinkles, then place the balls on a baking pan. Bake the cookies. Then let them cool. Enjoy the cookies with a glass of milk.
Make edible finger paint for children to enjoy, recommends the website Kaboose. To make the finger paint, set out sturdy paper plates, one for each color of paint. Pour 1 tablespoon corn syrup on each plate, then add a few drops of food coloring. Mix and add more food coloring, if necessary, until the paint reaches your desired color. Give children pieces of sturdy card stock and encourage them to paint the paper plates with the sugary finger paints. (Since the children will probably taste the paint, do not let them share paint plates.)
Let children roll up their sleeves and try their hands at some tasty desserts. Cut apples into large slices. Give each child several apple slices and a sheet of wax paper. Set out bowls of melted chocolate, crushed unsalted nuts, hot caramel and candy coating. Show them how to dip their apple slices into the toppings and then set them on the wax paper to harden. Alternatively, try a variety of fruits, such as strawberries and pineapple chunks.
Children love to play in the mud, so ask them to make a batch of fresh mud pies. Fill a tub or sensory table with dirt. Let them pour in water to make a thick mud consistency. Give the children shovels, spoons, spatulas and plastic dishes and encourage them to make mud pies and other mud shapes.