How many times have your kiddos created a little “mess” by playing? And how many others have you not let the children play as they want to so they don’t get dirty?

What we might not have imagined is that the more children get dirty, the more they conquer and learn.

The well-known messy play is a sensory game that allows the child to get in touch with the world around him, to explore it, to get acquainted with textures, while using all his senses.

It is aimed at all ages and offers a variety of developmental benefits.
There are no restrictions in messy play. By practicing both fine and gross motor skills, children explore freely while playing and learning. They find their own way to experiment, without right or wrong way. There are no rules, nor is there an end goal that children have to set. The process of messy play in itself provides children with benefits for both their physical and emotional health and well-being. Through messy play, children release their emotions freely. They show their joy and cover any curiosity about the unknown within them.

The materials of messy play vary. They can be simple materials from nature or from our everyday life. There is a wide range of textures such as the hard and dry textures (rice, sticks) or the softer and stickier ones (oobleck, sand)
With a little imagination, children experiment by asking questions and finding answers to them. The development of the brain is particularly favoured as it receives stimuli that exercise all 5 senses.

Overall, messy play has benefits:

-emotional:
By exploring and learning on his/her own, the child strengthens his/her self-confidence and self-esteem. He learns how to trust himself to try new things, which also helps him to become more independent.

-physical-motor:
Messy play has tremendous health benefits. As the child gets dirty and comes into contact with different textures, it strengthens his immune system by building up his antibodies. Still, he exercises physically through play.

-Gnostic:
The child’s fine and gross motor skills are trained simultaneously. He learns to coordinate his movements and his gaze. Observe, collaborate and learn. He develops his skills and discovers new ways of using tools on his own.

-Social:
Through playing in a group, the child can cooperate, share and respect those around him/her. He recognizes his own boundaries, without interfering in his neighbor’s space while developing friendships.

In conclusion, as mentioned above, messy play is a game and the game offers joy and new experiences!
So let your imagination run wild and get dirty.

20+ #YEARS_OF_EXPERIENCE
@mikros_maestros