Kinetic sand is a great messy play option!  Much like bubbles it is not too messy, but can provide ages of open ended play for the children.  Kinetic sand has a much different texture than normal sandpit sand, and can be more easily molded and manipulated.  This makes it a great medium for children to create with!  You can easily incorporate cooking skills by allowing the children to help make it, providing cooking type utensils in your set-up or even using ingredients like purple cabbage or beetroot to colour the water (rather than using food coloring)! It also has a very pleasant feel and can be excellent as a calming material for anxious children.

10 cups clean, fine sand*
1 cups cornflour
1/2 cup dish soap
Water to mix (1 to 2 cups)
Food colouring (optional)

1. Mix the sand and cornflour in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the dish soap and combine with a whisk.
3. Add water and mix until all the ingredients are fully combined.
4. Add the food colouring (if using) and mix in.
5. Leave the mixture to dry, the more water you add, the longer it will take to dry (usually 3-4 hours).  You can spread it out on a large baking tray to speed the process. 
6. Play!!

* Fine sand can usually be purchased in small bags from places like Mitre 10 or Bunnings.

As promised, here is the first in my series of posts on messy play.  I have decided to start out with a clean messy play idea to hopefully engage those of you that feel daunted by the idea of giving children even more reason to make a mess. ;)
Bubbles make a great substitute for your usual water play and are super easy to make!  The children will love scooping, blowing, gathering and fondling these fluffy little wonders!

Although I use the word "crafts" lightly, this is an excellent open ended Christmas craft activity for children of all ages.  Simply cut shapes (we used stars, Christmas trees and gingerbread men) out of sand paper.  Christmas shapes like these make cute ornaments, but you can cut simpler shapes as well if you have a lot of children, or are short on time!
Give the children a range of whole spices (we used cinnamon sticks and whole cloves) to rub onto the sand paper shapes.  This will create a lovely scent on your ornaments.  Other great spices include star anise, whole nutmeg and dried ginger.  This activity not only allows the children to experience what these spices look  and feel like in their natural state, but gives them some familiarity with the smell and texture as well.  It also allows them to practice their fine motor skills by handling a range of differently shaped and sized spices.

Christmas Roll-Ups:
Serves 10

4 x Tortilla wraps
Spreadable cream cheese
½ Red capsicum, chopped
½ Green capsicum, chopped

1. Spread the cream cheese on one side of each tortilla wrap, making sure to cover the surface all the way to the edges.
2. Sprinkle some chopped green and red capsicums on each tortilla.
3. Roll each tortilla to make a wrap.
4. Wrap each roll in cling wrap and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes, or up to 1 day.
5. Remove the clingwrap and cut each roll into 2cm slices.

 The children can help with just about every step in the process! The cheese and strawberries are easy to cut and can be done roughly so children can easily be involved in these steps! They will also love trying to mush the cheese into the flour. Spooning the mixture into the muffin is also a great way to practice their fine motor skills!

Serves 10

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup self-rising flour
2 Tbsps cream cheese
6-8 fresh strawberries
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup milk
spray oil

To go along with our table of Christmas eats, we added these colourful Red and Green Festive Smoothies. 
Smoothies are a great way to introduce a range of fruit and vege into the diets of young children. They are delicious, fun, easy to make and easy to eat, even for the littlest littlies!  Plus, as we all know, having a variety of colours means a variety of nutrients as well!  These smoothies are both dairy free as well, but should still be served cold to be at their most refreshing!

Serves 10

Ingredients:
2 Bananas
2 Kiwifruit
A handful of baby spinach
1 pear (we used canned pears in juice, drained; since the ones at the shop were too hard)
​Water - just enough to help with blending and gain desired texture

Method:

1. Peal and quarter the bananas, kiwifruit and pear (unless using canned).
2. Add fruit to the blender along with the spinach and a bit of water.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Add a bit more water, or ice, to thin it out if needed.

These cheesy star crackers are a lovely addition to your healthy Christmas spread.  They look great, taste yummy and are super easy to prepare.  Here we have paired them with some red, white and green vege skewers, but they could just as easily be served with a dip like our guacamole!

Cheesy Star Crackers
Serves 10

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups grated vegetables (we used a mixture of carrot and kumara)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup of Edam cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups of flour (we used a mixture of wholemeal and high grade), plus more for rolling