Messy play is an essential part of the early child development and is personally my favourite. Yes- I love mess!
I have always been someone who encourages children to get messy. Who loves seeing them roll in the oobleck, or paint with yoghurt, dig in the cocoa mud or simply just jump in muddy puddles.
Benefits of Sensory Play
While it may seem as though messy play is nothing more than just that, this type of play offers such a range of benefits for your little one. This is where the educator in me comes out.
A lot of the messy play trays offered in my class consist of activities that require us to scoop, pour, squeeze, tip, lift, and drop. Allowing your little one to engage in these activities can help them improve their hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and control over their movements. All this will later assist them in learning to hold a pencil and write.
• Creativity and Imagination:
I LOVE how creative my kids get when presented with a tray. Some weeks I will provide open-ended materials such as water, oobleck, sand or paint, (always edible or taste safe) and allow the children to be creative in a non-restrictive environment.
Some weeks I set up more specific play trays with guidance on their play, but by the end of the session I don’t mind that my construction site has turned into a ninja warrior course with transformer trucks.
Messy play can also support a toddler’s cognitive development by promoting problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and spatial awareness. As toddlers engage in messy play activities, they learn to make decisions, experiment with cause and effect, and explore the properties of different materials.
Here are a few tips for starting or building on your messy play experiences:
- Create a messy play area: Designate a specific area in your home or outdoor space, I highly recommend outside as it makes the clean up so much easier and kids just love being outside. This will help the toddlers learn that this is where the mess belong, and not on your white sofa. I LOVE using my Rudie Nudie mats under the trays. These mats add extra excitement with the amazing colours and saves some of those little babies from sitting on the grass. Side note: I have at times turned the mats over to the black side for specific themes to help make the colours in the trays POP.
- Use child-safe materials: Anyone else’s child eatingeverything? I always like to make sure everything I use is fully edible or taste safe. When painting we use yoghurt or custard. If we’re making mud for the farm we use cocoa powder and water, and our tasty construction sites are loaded with ground up or whole cereals. As your child gets older they tend to explore their world less with their mouth and that’s when I am able to use items like shaving cream or smaller things like chickpeas.
- Supervise but allow independence: In our sessions I always recommend my parents sit and engage with their little one. Switch off from your electronics for an hour and enjoy the play time together. You can supervise to make sure they stay safe, but allow them to use their imagination and create something exciting.
- Embrace the mess: Remember that messy play is meant to be messy! Embrace the mess and focus on the benefits your child is gaining from the experience rather than worrying about the cleanup. You can always end your messy play session with a fun bubble bath!
Nikki is a Wife, Business Owner and Step Mum, born and raised on the Gold Coast. She has worked in childcare for 21 years whilst also doing nannying and travelling.
Nikki started Let’s Bee Sensory at the beginning of 2022- A dream she had for many years.
Each week they explore so many new things, they make a mess and they make new finally
Follow them over on Instagram @lets_bee_sensory
