Lets Get Messy

Let’s Get MESSY

Curious little minds should be encouraged, even if it means extra work for parents on certain occasions. Nicola Monteath speaks to Penny Newell, Manager of Honey Bee Nursery, to explore why children should get their hands dirty during play time

When most parents hear the words “Messy Play” they cringe and a collage of muddy footprints, paint, glue fingerprints and glitter strewn sofas flashes through their minds. This is followed by the horror of the inevitable extra washing and work involved in the clean-up process.

While it may seem like one big mess, ever so often we need to think back to our childhood and fond memories. “Some of my fondest memories are playing with my sister in the mud and baking cakes and cookies with my mother. Mess can be cleaned up but the memories last forever,” says Penny Newell, Manager of Honey Bee Nursery. When children engage in messy play, the materials provide satisfying sensory experiences that stimulate emotional connections and wonderful childhood memories. It helps children to play in their own way, explore new textures and experiment. Children of all ages benefit from this type of play, and adults that allow themselves to play with their children find they have a great time too. Parents can support little ones by joining them and showing them that it is okay to get messy. While playing, you can encourage communication and use descriptive words to increase their vocabulary.

When arranging messy play materials, parents should keep in mind the age of the child/children, and their interests, to create diverse sensations in texture and temperature. For babies, the best messy play is during meal times, when they get to explore smell, taste, temperature, and texture of various foods. Make sure to dress your child in old clothes or aprons and show them you are excited that they are getting messy, without worrying about clothes being ruined. Encourage your child to explore and experiment during messy play, there is no specific outcome to be achieved. There is no right or wrong way to carry out messy play, and sometimes the most fun happens when children are allowed to explore without being told how to play. Wondering what your child will learn? “Through messy play, they are actively practicing problem solving, physical development, language skills, developing their cognitive functioning, boosting their critical thinking and social interaction skills when playing with others, and exploring their imagination and creativity,” says Penny.

PLAYTIME IDEAS

• Ingredients:

paint, sand, mud, shaving foam, slime, playdough, water, clay, bubbles, gloop, etc.

• Go outside:

Now that the weather is amazing, head outdoors and do a nature walk or a walk on the beach. There are endless possibilities of sand and water play, shells, seaweed, driftwood, etc.

• Make some gloop:

This is a mixture of 1 cup cold water and 2 cups corn flour

• Explore food cupboards:

I think we are all guilty of impulsive purchase at the supermarket. Food offers a multi-sensory experience for smell, taste and texture. I am not talking about wasting lots of food, but for things you may never use or are about to expire in a day or two (these can also be dry ingredients such as leftover cereal, dry pasta, etc), see how children can squash, mash, crunch or manipulate. Even leftover spaghetti from the previous night’s dinner can be used for messy play.

• Shaving foam:

You can play with it in many ways, spray it on a table top and draw pictures in it, place in bowls and trays to scoop it etc. You can add sand, ice, and paint for variety.

• Recycle:

Your child can spend hours playing with bottles and/or egg boxes. Keeping items like these, and toiletand kitchen roll-holders, can provide a realistic ongoing play experience that is open ended.

In order to make sure your house doesn’t get trashed during messy play it is important to establish boundaries. Your child should know where he/she can go play. “You can also teach your children to clean up after themselves and this can be a part of the fun routine. I would recommend you have a clean-up plan ready for when the children have finished playing (for example have towels and a basin of water handy if indoors),” she goes on to say. Finally, timing is everything, a good time for messy play is before bath time.