Edible kinetic sand is the perfect messy play activity.

Messy plays spark a sense of curiosity, creativity and exploration from a young age but one thing that holds parents back is the cost involved in setting up messy play stations. Today, we're here to help because we're sharing how to make a safe edible kinetic sand with items you may already have in your cupboards, providing your tiny human with an exciting tactile sensory experience that you will both love.

This article is part of our #FamilyFun30 Challenge, where every day we set a simple, accessible and fun task to enjoy with your family. Check out the full list of challenges here and get involved!

Messy play with activities such as homemade sand helps assist fine motor skills as they scoop, splat and squeeze the sand particles through their hands, building up the little muscles needed for learning skills like handwriting.

Not only that, messy play helps promote early literacy skills and supports language development while encouraging communication and speech as they use adjectives to describe what they are doing.

It also enhances eye coordination as they concentrate on the task in hand and most importantly, messy play supports your child's ability to play independently which can help improve self-esteem and confidence in later life.

Enough of the benefits, how do we make it?

The ingredients needed to make a simple and safe non-toxic edible kinetic include:

• a large basin
• 5 cups of plain flour
• 1 cup of cocoa powder
• 1 cup of vegetable oil (or coconut oil melted)

Once your creative creatures are finished playing, store the edible kinetic sand in a large lunchbox or a resealable ziplock back in a safe place for a future playdate.