• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

What Do We Do All Day logo

  • Start Here
  • Books
    • Classics
      • 20th Century Classics
    • Early Chapter Books
    • Easy Readers
    • Folktales
    • Holiday Books
    • Middle Grade (8-12 years)
    • Nonfiction
    • Picture Books
    • Read Aloud Chapter Books
  • Games
    • Traditional Games
  • Kids Activities
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy & Writing
    • Math
    • Playful Activities
    • Science
    • Toddler
  • Parenting
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Books for kids
  • Games
  • Indoor activities for kids
  • Parenting
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Parenting / Why I Let My Kids Make Big Giant Messes

     

    Why I Let My Kids Make Big Giant Messes

    601 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Why do I let my kids make a big mess? Sensory trays dumped all over the place? Toys strewn every which way? This picture gives a fairly accurate portray of what goes on around here on a daily basis, indoors.

    Letting your kids make a mess indoors can actually lower stress levels.

    One word: SANITY

    Okay, now you are thinking, but isn't sanity more at risk when the home is messy?

    Let kids make a mess indoors. Free play is fun.

    Well, maybe. If the home stays messy.

    You already know the benefits of free, sensory play so I won't recap all that. You already know strategies like placing towels under water or mats under paint, so I won't bore you with that.

    It's okay to let kids make a mess indoors.

    But I will ask: Isn't 20 minutes (give or take) of a child occupied with an activity that doesn't involve whining, sibling conflict, and otherwise extremely annoying behaviors worth a trip around the living room with a vacuum?

    Well? Isn't it?

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    « Screen-Free Fun for Kids: Design Your Own Stickers
    The Writing on the Wall: Getting Kids to Love Words »
    601 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MaryAnne says

      April 25, 2011 at 11:21 am

      Absolutely!

      Reply
    2. Christy says

      April 25, 2011 at 11:24 am

      Definitely!

      Reply
    3. Nicole says

      April 25, 2011 at 1:39 pm

      A big "yes!" to that question! We love messy stuff around here. 🙂

      Reply
    4. Raising a Happy Child says

      April 25, 2011 at 7:01 pm

      I am sure I would miss a spot and then it would be discovered by my husband and bye-bye, sanity.

      Reply
    5. emily @ http://scrambledpreservedfriedcured.wordpress.com/ says

      April 27, 2011 at 12:21 am

      I so agree. I have 4 and am big on big messes (for a certain amount of time). Shaving cream/water play/paint Mommy with water colors/really letting kids cook. All good. Hope you'll visit my blog...

      Reply
    6. Jamie @ hands on : as we grow says

      April 27, 2011 at 1:16 am

      The mess is definitely worth it.

      Jamie @ hands on : as we grow

      Reply
    7. The Activity Mom says

      May 01, 2011 at 1:39 pm

      sure is! Even better when they take a turn with the vacuum. =)

      Reply
    8. Kate @ An Amazing Child says

      May 01, 2011 at 3:09 pm

      A huge YES! and how boring would our days be without the mess. Besides, how hard is it to stick your little one under a hose or pull out the broom.

      The best parts of our day is when little man gets messy.

      Reply
    9. Jessica says

      May 04, 2011 at 1:17 am

      You crack me up. 🙂

      Come on...tell us about putting down a towel to keep the area tidy.

      Reply
    10. Bona Fide Mama says

      May 04, 2011 at 8:26 am

      Yes, it is worth it! I just cannot seem to muster up the creativity for anything messy these days!

      Reply
    11. Toni Thorn says

      February 11, 2014 at 12:12 pm

      Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! From me and both my kids, 2 & 4. I have a huge piece of lino I've used in the past for free body painting (one looked like a pink surf and the other like a greeny blue one!) but I never thought of using the kitchen! We had an old jar of dry polenta (grits?) that had been forgotten and now was stale but was like sand and perfect for our first free for all! The one who needs most practice is me, I bit my tongue a few times but was too often critical of the mess. I will be better next time and with practical can improve. I want to try again next week with water! Wish me luck!

      Reply
      • Erica MomandKiddo says

        February 11, 2014 at 1:10 pm

        Once you see how engaged your kids are and how long they play by themselves, you will be totally hooked on letting them make a big mess! Good luck!

        Reply
    12. tuxgirl says

      October 17, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      I'm trying to be better about this. I grew up in a house where my mom felt that it needed to be ready for company at the drop of a hat. Somehow that resulted in me, I'm a horrid homemaker (struggle to get basic cleaning done regularly), but I'm afraid of an thing that will cause extra mess. And I was an only child, but now I have two little ones that I'm trying to keep track of. So much of my mommy training from my mom was about avoiding and preventing messes that I'm afraid to let the kids make a mess. And when I'm already horridly behind on housework, I don't know what to do with it.

      Reply
    13. nicole says

      April 22, 2016 at 3:10 pm

      I totally understand that. My mom was the same way, our house was always tidy and ready for company, but we never got company. I don't really understand the point. I have a hard time with the mess also, but I have worked on it over the years of raising 4 kids and a house full of animals. When it comes down to it, having a happy, creative, messy home is much better than having a spotless home with stressed out occupants. Every time I start to feel myself getting cranky over the mess, I stop and take a deep breath and remind myself that it will all get taken care of in time.

      Reply
      • Erica MomandKiddo says

        April 29, 2016 at 5:18 am

        Yes, there is always time to clean.... later!

        Reply
    14. Erin says

      April 19, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      To be honest, though, it’s not just a trip around the room with a vacuum. It’s cleaning up the items involved in the activity, washing the
      Out, putting everything away, removing soiled clothes, likely a bath (or at least a good wipe down), clean clothes, and THEN vacuuming and mopping.

      Just from another mom’s perspective, nope. An hour+ of cleaning is not worth 20 minutes of distraction

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Erica! I believe parents can stay sane without giving their kids an electronic device. Learn how!

    More about me →

    Newsletter

    Join over 15,000 subscribers who said "Yes! I want to unplug my kids!" We'll send you 10 waiting games your kids can play anytime, anywhere. Join here -->

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Site

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and join over 15,000 other families finding ways reduce screen time.

    Other Stuff

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    Copyright © 2023 What Creative Media LLC

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want More Free Activity Ideas?
    Join our email list and as a thank you gift I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games that will make your kids smarter.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want your kids to love being unplugged?
    Join our newsletter and as a thank you, I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.