Messy outdoor fun classes for kids where it's OK to play in the mud

For kids and adults who have been “goo deprived” indoors this winter, now is the time to go out and make the mess you’ve been missing.

Outdoor slime parties, tie-dye sessions, painting classes with water guns, gardening workshops and more are great opportunities for hands-on fun. But it doesn’t end there. Creativity is behind goo, too.

“Getting messy for the sake of your artwork, and getting comfortable with the smooshy or gooey or cold, wet and slimy is a big part of the creative process,” says Larissa Grass, North Gallery education director.

Heidi LaMarca, who owns a mobile slime machine for DIY slime playdates adds, “with slime, there’s so much going on sensory-wise. Kids forget about everything they’re stressed about and just have fun. Parents join in, too.”

Allison Grief, early childhood programs manager at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center oversees their annual International Mud Day celebration. She says, “Playing in mud brings back childhood memories for many adults. Jumping in puddles allows everyone to let loose and enjoy the moment, and the educational value of playing in mud is limitless.”

So, it comes down to choosing the goo that’s right for you. We found four examples ranging from a “contained mess” to “anything goes.”

Your mess match might be here:

A CONTAINED, CREATIVE MESS AT THE SLIME MACHINE

When the Slime Machine bus pulls up for a party or playdate, kids can’t wait to dig their hands in slime: a glue-based, stretchy, gooey material kids can mold into any shape they like.

Though many of the gatherings take place inside the Slime Machine bus, LaMarca will also set up party tents and large tables in a driveway or yard, or poolside. She says, “Those playdates are usually for special occasions like the last day of school.” LaMarca also offers a glow-in-the-dark slime gathering. Playdates require a minimum of 12 kids.

No matter what the celebratory setup, kids find themselves surrounded by 12 slime colors, 12 kinds of glitter, gems, jewels, sparkles and slime textures ranging from fluffy to snow to shaving cream. LaMarca says with a smile, “The kids make amazing creations. They’ll put five colors together and make rainbow slime. They’ll make monster slimes that can stretch 6-feet wide, or make slime that looks like ice cream with sprinkles." All products are plastic, nontoxic and made specifically for slime.

LaMarca explains that it looks like it’s messy, but it’s not. “When it’s time to make the actual slime, we pour the glue for the kids instead of having them do it themselves. After the kids mix the slime, they tell us which ingredients they want to add, such as beads, glitter and snow. We add the slime activator until it’s the right consistency. Then the kids can take it out of the bowl because it’s ready to be played with. It’s not dripping on the floor or sticking to their hands.”

During a party, slime offerings are limitless. Most kids leave with about 10 different versions.

A MULTI-MARVELOUS MESS AT TIE-DYE TOWN EVENTS

At a Tie-Dye Town outdoor party, guests can tie-dye a regular T-shirt, fringed T-shirt, tank top, hoodie, baseball cap, towel, bandanna, canvas bag, backpack, sneakers, socks or shoelaces. They’ll work with 10 different dye colors and numerous designs. Swirls are a favorite.

Since kids will be working with dye, the party staff brings smocks and gloves for everyone (as well as all clothing to be tie-dyed, tables and equipment).  Parties take place outdoors, that way, if things start to get gooey, guests can concentrate on their creativity instead of worrying about the mess.

For those who’d like to have a more varied mess, a four-part art party is another great option. Four stations are set up outdoors: tie-dye, spin art, jewelry box painting and slime. During the party hour, kids rotate from one station to the next. They go home with goody bags filled with their creations. Individual parties focusing on each type of art are also offered.

AN ARTISTIC MESS AT GALLERY NORTH

In this art studio, adults and kids work with a variety of creative materials that involve paint, fabric, wax, clay and printmaking. Kate Schwarting, curator of exhibitions and collections, says, “We believe in messy. It’s 100% part of the creative process.” Instructors bring the art tables outdoors in nice weather.

The ArtVentures Mixed Media program begins April 30 and runs through June (for 6 to 11-year-olds). “We do a lot of painting with our fingers. If kids want to paint their hands, or walk a straight line with paint on their feet, they do it," says Grass.

There will be an art-based camp with a different theme each week this summer.

Water gun art is scheduled during the Water Works camp week (Aug. 15-19).

THE ULTIMATE MESS AT SUFFOLK COUNTY FARM 

On June 25, celebrate International Mud Day on the farm. “It’s the day we can all get dirty and just play,” says Grief. “We run hoses from various locations to flood the road around our historical hay barn. It creates huge puddles for jumping and splashing about. Clean soil will be delivered to make a hill and mud area, so there will be lots of puddles and mud for everyone.” There will also be plenty of dry areas to observe, have a picnic, visit the farm animals or take a wagon ride.
The mud creativity continues throughout the year. There’s a mud kitchen for kids on the farm, where they can prepare pretend mud meals using old pots, pans and simple kitchen equipment. “It’s a favorite for kids who are visiting the farm or participating in our early children program or summer camp,” Grief says.