Backyard Summer Camp: Messy Stuff Week

Last summer I scoured Pinterest for ideas and created a Messy Backyard Fun Week for my boys. They had such a blast that they still ask to "do messy stuff" on a regular basis. I suppose that was the impetus to all the Backyard Summer Camp theme weeks this year.

When I was brainstorming theme-week ideas, I had to include a Messy Stuff Week once again. It was just too much fun. Most of these can be done outside to minimize the clean up. Trust me, the mess will be worth it for the smiles on your kids' faces!

By the way, in case you've missed them, be sure to check out Wacky Sports Week, Under the Sea Week, Outer Space Week, In Our Neighborhood Week, Dinosaur Week, and Game Week too. Have fun!

Messy Stuff Week

Active Play

·      Color volcanoes (food coloring, vinegar, baking soda, plastic cups)

·      Sock bubble-blower (cut off the bottom of an empty water bottle and secure a sock over the cut opening; dip the sock-end into bubble solution then blow through the other end)  

·      Make sponge balls; play sponge ball tag (cut three sponges into six strips each; pile the strips and tie in the middle with a piece of string; fluff pieces out into a ball) 

·      Jackson Pollock painting. Materials: drop cloth; poster board; washable tempera paint; old kitchen utensils, sticks, rulers, etc. for flinging paint. Instructions: Place poster board on the drop cloth and have kids dip the utensils/rulers/sticks into paint and then splatter to their hearts' content.

Color volcanoes

Jackson Pollock painting

Quiet Play

·      Make Jell-Doh Materials: 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. salt, 1 Tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. cream of tartar, 1 c. water, and 1 pkg. Jell-O mix. Instructions: Combine and cook all ingredients on medium heat, stirring until thickened. Cool, then knead until dry to touch.
·      Make Lava Lamps. Materials: empty plastic bottles, oil, water, food coloring, glitter, and salt. Instructions: Fill bottle 3/4 with water; add food coloring and glitter. Fill almost to top with oil; let separate. Pour salt into jar and watch the lava-lamp-like bubbles!

·      Bubble wrap print Materials: bubble wrap, paint, brushes, white paper. Instructions: Paint directly on the bubble wrap, then press clean paper on top to make a print.

·      Microwave Ivory soap Materials: paper towel, Ivory bar soap (no substitutes, or it won't work). Instructions: place bar of Ivory soap on paper towel in microwave; heat for a couple of minutes, until it "grows." Remove your soap blob and play!

·      Dissolving egg shells & bouncing eggs Materials: eggs, vinegar, water, clear jars. Instructions: Place eggs in vinegar and observe. Leave eggs in for 1 week, then observe; remove and bounce them. Bonus: put vinegar-eggs into corn syrup for a few days then observe.

·      Milk Art Materials: dish, whole milk, food coloring, dish soap. Instructions: Pour milk into a dish; drop in food coloring. Then add dish soap a few drops at a time and watch the colors dance!

·      Blow Up a Balloon with Yeast Materials: empty bottle, balloon, ½ cup warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 packet active dry yeast. Instructions: In the bottle, mix warm water and yeast; swirl around to dissolve then add sugar and swirl again. Stretch out the balloon then place over the top. Let sit in a warm place for about 20 minutes; observe.

·      Read science books

·      Write a story together about a crazy science experiment. Let kids illustrate.

Field Trips

·      Visit a science museum (Rochester Area: check out the Rochester Museum & Science Center)

·      Go to the library for science books: Science Experiments: Shiny, Slimy, Stinky, Shocking by Steve Parker; 60 Super Simple Science Experiments by Q. L. Pearce; A Moldy Mystery by Michelle Knudsen;  Crazy Concoctions: A Mad Scientist's Guide to Messy Mixtures by Jordan Brown.

Have fun getting messy! As always, thanks for reading.