Kids love to make messes! And summer is the perfect time to let them go nuts—you can just hose ‘em down or let them run through the sprinklers when they’re done. Here are a few recipes for delightfully messy DIY fun:


Sidewalk Chalk
• Find a mold for your chalk (toilet paper tubes or small paper cups work best).
• Mix together 1½ cups of plaster of Paris with ½ cup of water in a disposable container (a clean empty milk carton or yogurt container should do the trick).
• Quickly, add in a bit of liquid tempera paint to add color. Stir with something disposable like a plastic spoon or a popsicle stick.
• Pour the mixture into your molds and let it dry overnight. Remove the molds, and you’re ready to draw the most amazingly beautiful masterpieces your sidewalk has ever seen!
(WARNING: Do not pour extra mixture down the drain. It will harden in your pipes! Instead, scoop or pour it directly into a bag, or wait for it to harden. If you need to wash any remaining residue, use plenty of water. We suggest the garden hose.)

Bubble Fun
Mix together:
• ¼ cup liquid dishwashing detergent (Dawn works best)
• ¾ cup cold water
• 5 drops of glycerin (available at pharmacies)
You can buy inexpensive packs of bubble wands online at OrientalTrading.com, or create your own using old berry baskets or the plastic rings from soda six-packs.

Ooey Gooey Oobleck
If you’ve never played with this yourself, you might want to give it a try. Actually, I dare you not to! It’s fascinating because it feels like both a liquid and a solid—strange! Kids love it.
• Mix together 2 parts cornstarch and 1 part water in a plastic dishpan or large mixing bowl.
• Set it outside to play with because it is messy, but it will wash away easily with a couple of sprays from the garden hose.

Silly Putty
• To make borax solution: Add 2 tablespoons borax (available at grocery stores) to 1 cup of water and stir.
• Add ½ cup water to 1/2 cup Elmer's glue (NOT School Glue!)
• Add ½ cup of borax solution to the water and glue mixture
• Stir and store in a plastic bag
Mix together well and let it dry for about an hour. When your putty is ready, it will be smooth and rubbery. It will bounce and pick up pictures from the paper just like the name-brand stuff. Store it in an airtight container.

For more great messy recipes, check out The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions: More Than 65 Wacky, Wild & Crazy Concoctions by John E. Thomas. In it you'll find instructions for Jewel and Gem Goop, Make-it-Yourself Stickers, Tornado in a Bottle, Fruity Lip Gloss, Magic Muck, and Scratch & Sniff Watercolors—hours of summer fun!