If you have children aged three or older, you may assume
that messy play isn’t suitable anymore. By this stage many adults feel that
their kids should be getting stuck into structured crafts, from which there is
an end product. However, two isn’t the cut off for messy play, as sensory play
still offers pre-schoolers a range of benefits. You might be surprised at the
number of ways messy play can support learning and development in slightly
older children.
Growing personally, emotionally and socially
Sensory play enables personal development. For instance,
your little ones are in charge and take part in new experiences, which fosters
independence and confidence. Kids also focus on tasks, aiding their
concentration. They may loosely plan what they’re going to do with the
materials and work out how they will achieve this, allowing your children to
problem solve and see an activity through to its end. Youngsters can even use
messy activities as an outlet for their emotions, letting your kids express
their thoughts and feelings through this form of play. Additionally, messy play
encourages social interaction, which helps children to understand the values of
sharing, respecting others and working together.
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| Image by Maena via Morguefile |
Enhancing communication and language
When sensory play occurs in a group setting, kids
communicate with their peers through gestures and words, as well as observing
and listening, which can make them more confident to interact with others.
However, even when children engage in messy play in the home with their parents
or carers, there are opportunities for conversation. For example, discussing
what they are doing, what they might do next and their thoughts at the end. You
might not realise it, but messy play also helps youngsters to develop fine
finger movements and hand to eye co-ordination, which can aid writing.
Understanding the world
It’s in children’s nature to investigate the world around
them and messy play provides them with the opportunity to do just that. Through
messy activities kids use all their senses to observe, choose and manipulate
materials that may be unfamiliar and have different properties to those that
they are used to playing with. Sensory play also lets slightly older children
to set themselves a challenge, solve it and learn about cause and effect along
the way.
Developing physical skills
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| Image by Melodi2 via Morguefile |
During messy play your little ones enhance their fine motor
skills and co-ordination when they use tools, objects and materials. When they carry
larger objects, sensory exploration helps with balance and body control.
Gaining creatively
Using their curiosity, children explore materials with their
sight, hearing, smell and touch. They use their imagination and respond to
experiences during sensory play. Messy activities additionally give kids the
chance to express their thoughts and feelings as they get to grips with
different colours, textures, shapes and space.Developing mathematical skills
Messy play helps with concepts such as numbers, size,
shapes, space and patterns. Older children can count objects and get to grips
with quantities by comparing the weight or volume of materials. Meanwhile, sorting
and arranging objects can familiarise kids with shapes and space. Youngsters
can additionally make patterns in clay, playdough, sand, soil and a range of
edible materials, as well as with paints.
While Messy Play St Bees is only able to cater for the
under 5s, your three and four year olds can come along and gain from the
sessions too. This is ideal if they have younger siblings, as sensory play is
an activity that children of various ages can experience and enjoy together.
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