LOL, yes a contained and controlled mess is do-able too! All depends on your kids and the activity!!

I've had my young kids participate too but I just make sure they are beside me and I watch them like a hawk!! We talk before we start the project and we talk a lot before and during that things do not go in our mouth or the activity will go away! For the most part, they are pretty good and the 2.5 year old helps me out too lol. If she sees a child going to put something in their mouth she says "not in your mouth or xxx will take this away" hahaha. I start things like this with them early though so they grow up knowing my rules and expectations.