Blogwatch – Messy Play
Pick up some tips and get inspired with this selection of messy play-themed blog posts from around the world…
- by Teachwire
The sense of freedom and slightly anarchic underpinnings of messy play means there’s always more to discover about it – be it ideas for activities, recipes for new and unusual substances – but also lots to discuss, too.
How do you know when you’re doing it right? What can children learn from it? And what are parents’ expectations when it comes to messy play? You’ll find those points and more covered below, in this selection of recent articles on messy play from around the web that have caught our attention…
1. 5 Easy ‘Messy’ Play Ideas
Kicking things off in straightforward style, here’s a largely self-explanatory post by Esther Andrews, founder of North Cork-based messy play specialist, Messy Hands, featuring five quick and simple messy play ideas using common household items and foodstuffs
Read it here
2. Messy play without the stress
Messy play isn’t without its downsides and risks, of course. It may be principally written with parents and home activities in mind, but this plain-speaking guide to supervising messy play activities ‘without losing your mind’ at British UK parenting blog Squished Blueberries still makes for instructive reading…
Read it here
3. Messy Play for Fussy Eaters
Did you know that messy play can help fussy eaters to be a little more adventurous at mealtimes? According to Australian occupational therapy provider Stepping Stones, indeed it can. Allowing children to explore different textures with their hands works to stimulate a set of tactile nerves similar to those in their mouth. The comfortable they are with handling unfamiliar textures, the more likely they are to do the same with their mouths…
Read it here
4. Managing Messy Play
We’ve previously flagged up the sterling messy play ideas published by the Fun At Home With Kids blog by pointing to its glow in the dark spiderwebs, glitter slime and painted salt sculptures. Also worthy of an honourable mention is Asia Citro’s straightforward, four-step guide to managing some of the key practicalities of messy play – namely quantities, floor protection, forward planning and location.
Read it here
5. Easy Backyard Volcano!
Another parental suggestion, this time from A Mom with a Lesson Plan. Potentially good for a small group messy play activity with a little cross-curricular learning thrown in, this recipe for an ‘easy backyard volcano’ requires just a water bottle, some baking soda, a little vinegar and a generous helping of dirt, earth or soil…
Read it here
6. Calming Lavender Cloud Dough
Next time you’re needing to calm a child down and make them more relaxed, try seeing whether this calming lavender cloud dough recipe posted at Growing A Jeweled Rose does the trick. Combining flour, vegetable oil and lavendar essential oil, the process of mixing and preparing it could make for a stimulating messy play activity in its own right – with appropriate supervision, of course.
Read it here
7. Let’s Play Big – Hebburn
If you’re in the business of offering organised pre-school messy play activities, what is it that parents are likely to be looking for? It might be a sample size of one, admittedly, but this extremely detailed – and largely glowing – write-up of the Let’s Play Big children’s activities centre in Hebburn, Tyne and Wear at the Sprog on the Tyne blog makes for informative reading.
Read it here
8. Messy Play…It’s Important
Over at this site for parents residing in the New York borough of Brooklyn you can read a thoughtful post by preschool manager, Lauren Maples, which begins with an account of how she went about persuading the children’s parents of the benefits of messy play – by getting the adults to have a go at it themselves…
Read it here
9. Frozen Winter Sensory Bin
Finally, with winter just around the corner, here are some suggestions from the Messy Kids blog for creating your an aptly themed sensory bin using some colored rice, Epsom salt and snowflake confetti.
Read it here
