The Benefits of Messy Play
At Daisykins Day Nursery in Rugby we appreciate the importance of messy play and strongly believe that children should be given the opportunity to engage in messy play activities as much as possible.
Whilst to most parents/carers, the idea of messy play makes the daunting thought of the inevitable cleaning up operation afterwards spring to mind, to the practitioners here at Daisykins, messy play is one of the most beneficial ways for children to learn and develop. Embracing the mess and encouraging the children to engage in messy play activities presents many benefits in the children's development and is a prime example of how allowing a child to express their creativity can support their developmental progress.
Messy play fosters curiosity, imagination and exploration. With no correct way to carry out messy play activities, the focus is on letting children explore and experiment with different objects and raw materials without an end goal restricting them. Providing children with the opportunity to access raw materials such as water, sand, chalk, playdough, paint, clay etc encourages their imagination to continue with no limitations. Children can spend a long time exploring these resources, developing their knowledge, making their own discoveries and stimulating their curiosity.
Providing hands-on play experiences also offers many benefits to children's physical development. Not only does it encourage the child to develop an awareness of their body and personal space, but it also strengthens their muscle control. One of the most popular messy play activities at Daisykins is the gelibaff. This is often used with scoops, spoons and jugs, encouraging the children to pour, scoop and shovel the gooey substance, thus building the strength of the large muscle groups at the top of their arms. These muscles then enable the smaller muscles in the child's wrist, hand and fingers to make controlled and precise movements. Messy play is a great way to support those children who find it difficult to hold a pencil, use scissors or use cutlery.
Messy play is a sociable activity and therefore naturally enriches relationships through social interaction. When providing the children with the opportunity to play in shaving foam at Daisykins, the practitioners often hide other resources underneath, encouraging the children to discuss what they have found with others. This is extended further with the older children, offering the children in Pre-School the chance to work as a team to provide their friends with directions to find the hidden objects. This is made even more fun by providing the child who is listening to the instructions with a blindfold and encouraging the children to work in groups, in a race to see who can find all of the items first.
From engaging their senses, to exploring objects, to thinking through their discoveries, to communicating them, to sharing their play with others, children are maintaining their concentration, focus and attention when engaging in messy play activities. Children gain essential learning skills from this, which is then shown when demonstrating their practical skills. Messy play nurtures the child's future skills, having a huge impact on their development.
Messy play can be anything from making marks in damp sand, to using scissors to cut jelly, to making a dinosaur swamp with mushy peas. These simple resources can enhance the child's ability to direct their own play, encourage their imagination, creativity and exploration, prompt active thinking skills and much more.
Next time you're having a clear out of your food cupboard, think twice about that unwanted tin of baked beans! What seems like food to you, may be a mountain, a river with stepping stones or a bright, erupting volcano to your child!