Why Your Toddler Makes Mess: Find Out Now!

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

Toddlers creating a mess is a common issue! Trying to keep your house tidy when you have a toddler around? Possible, only if your child is an exception. Read on to check why toddlers make messes and what you can do to correct them.

Toddlers making mess

Every child is unique and different but there is one thing they all seem to be similar with: Making a mess! Yes, it’s true! It is not that your child is only making a mess. The skill is common with all the children of this age group. Your child empties every box, bucket, bag; throws everything off the table, touches everything in sight and reach. These typical toddlers leave you dealing with a lot of little disasters to mend. Well, the good news is that these messes are not bad for him, instead, your little one is simply exploring his world the way he knows how - one disaster at a time. This messiness shows how eager your child is to learn about the world around him.

By dumping all toys from the bucket (although you have already arranged them five times since morning), he is learning spatial relationships. Tossing his spoon off his plate again and again (and expecting you to pick it up every time), he is not testing your limits but exploring the theories and cause and effect (drop and sound). You have just folded the clothes and the moment you turn to open the almirah, all the folded clothes are messed, calm down, your child will help you mending clothes very soon. While the messy play is beneficial for your child, it doesn’t mean you should let your child run wild. Let him be messy sometimes but teach him to mend the disaster too.

Reasons why you should let your toddler make a mess

Here's why you should let your child make a mess at this age, despite how much ir irks you:

1. Sensory development

Messy play can spark your child’s five senses. Let your child play or create a mess with shells, rocks, leaves or dirt, it inspires the senses to come to life. He can touch, feel, smell, and even observe the way these things work and develop interest.

2. Exploration

Your child is in an avenue of discovery while playing messy.  Not only he is having fun but learning about the world around him too.

3. Motor skills development

Messy play improves dexterity and fine-motor skills of your child. By throwing and picking things, he is working hard to improve his hand muscles and fine motor skills at the same time. 

4. Spatial awareness

Your little one’s spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination are improving with these messy plays. Your child is working on vital development skills, don’t stop him. 

5. Boosting creativity

Messy plays improve your child’s creativity too. Wondering how? Your child is learning how a single thing can be used to create many patterns. While re-arranging the things, your child might make a pile or tower with the glasses which you have never thought of. 

Few common messes every toddler makes

Here is a list of some of the common messes that your toddler makes or is likely to make:

Emptying your cupboards

Taking out all the utensils from the kitchen’s cupboard is fun play for your child. Taking things out, banging them with each other and the pretend play cooking is quite common with all toddlers. Your toddler is also driving you crazy by taking out utensils every time you put them in. Well, placing utensils in one another helps him learn spatial awareness plus the sound they make with these utensils is quite fun for them. 

Spilling food

Your child describes it as playing and exploring food. Every time you ask him to eat properly, he just creates a mess with the food. It is his way of exploring his food, new textures and taste. He is curious about the cause and effect at this age. If he drops down the food, will it splatter, roll or make a noise? He wants to know all these things.

Drawing on walls

You have given crayons to your toddler to keep him busy a little while. But why he will stop himself on a small paper when big wall canvas is all there for him. Though your highly expensive paint on walls has ruined here it is a matter of your little one’s creativity. Let him boost his hand dexterity and creativity. 

Throwing off the table

Everything you kept on the table is on the floor now. Whether it is an expensive flower vase or small toys, your child loves them on the floor and not on the table. It is his way of keeping the table clean. Throwing off the table helps him develop hand-eye coordination. 

How to limit the mess your toddler creates?

The answer to why toddlers make messes is already been discussed now is the turn to understand how to limit your child’s messiness. 

First, make a point whatever you do to stop him, try not to scold him for his earnest experiments. Keep in mind, he is not deliberately trying to cause trouble for you. Set the limits where you can and make your child understand not to create mess politely. Divert his mind in other things when he is really in a mood to create disaster one after another and offer him as many safe play opportunities to experiment as you can dream up. 

Give your child a large sheet of paper with a canvas or board with a marker. With a big canvas of his own, he is less likely to doodle on the walls. Involve your child in the cleaning process, even if it’s just holding the duster or tissues while wiping off the marks. This will eventually make your child understand the consequences of his mess created.

Keep the things out of sight, out of reach. The fewer items he sees, the less he will throw. 

Fill your kitchen bottom cupboard with child safe play utensils. Lock the rest cupboards. 

Have a designated play space in your house which can help you making cleanup faster. 

Ask your child to clean up the mess after play. Make him understand, it’s ok to create a mess during playtime but it needs to be corrected after that. Reward him for his cleaning habits. Make cleanup a fun play for your kid. 

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.