Arghhhh! Messy play! Messy clothes! Messy children!!

‘Messy’ is often associated with negativity, many studies prove it is actually nothing but positive for children’s cognitive and creative development. Here at Love 2 Learn we always ask our parents to send their child in clothes that they don’t mind becoming covered in mud or changing into a completely different colour!

We believe that all children deserve to have the opportunity to explore their environment with all their senses. Children learn through play, ‘mess’ is a part of their play and learning. ‘Messy’ play allows your child to experience different textures – how sand and paint feel different. Smells – how mud smells different to playdough. Sounds – the squelch of mud under their feet or making huge splashes in puddles. This enables a child to develop their language, describing the sounds and textures in their play. A child will never understand what ‘slimy’ is for example, if they have never had the opportunity to explore slime.

If your little learner is engrossed in their play, who are we to stop them. To interrupt their development and fun to pop aprons on. When they are developing their fine motor skills by painting, developing their social development making mud pies with their friends or using their imagination to make playdough animals. WE as the adults must allow your little one to explore and develop these skills.

The benefits of ‘messy’ play outnumber the negatives by far!

‘Messy’ play allows curiosity, imagination and exploration, It encourages communication and language development. It practices good concentration, promotes physical development, particularly gross and fine motor skills and supports independent and group play. It is enjoyed and makes us and your little one happy!

The negatives are dirty clothes and a dirty child! Nothing a quick spin in the washing machine wouldn’t fix and a warm bubbly bath.

So when you drop of your clean, sweet smelling little darlings in the morning. Always remember that the ‘dirty’, paint smeared, sandy haired, happy learner you collect in the evening, has had an amazing day. Exploring, learning, developing and making memories that will last a lifetime.

A ‘messy’ child is a happy one, who isn’t held back from exploring and being themselves.