Why Your Kids Need to Make Mess!

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Are you a parent that finds it difficult not to hover over your child with wipes at the ready? Does messy play sound like your worst nightmare? You are not alone! However, evidence shows that letting your child take part in sensory messy play is really important for a child's cognitive and physical development.

Here's why!

1. It allows children to explore the world around them and sparks their natural curiosity and imagination. Outside is one big sensory experience, from jumping in puddles to making mud pies. 

2. Children learn through experimenting, trial and error and natural consequences. Messy play provides the perfect safe way for them to practice and learn new skills through play.

3. Messy play gives young children the opportunity to build fine and motor skills. These are essential to complete everyday tasks such as buttoning a coat, writing and using scissors. They also help children with muscle control, coordination and balance.

4. It encourages communication and language development. Babies may use gestures to proudly show a parent what they have done, older children can use it to build on their vocabulary by describing their process and what they have learnt.

5. Messy play is great for getting even the most active and busy child to sit and concentrate on the task in hand. The most popular play in my experience is water play!

Messy play does not have to use expensive resources or take lots of time to set up. My advice is to keep it simple, always have a tub of water and a cloth on standby for easy clean up and most of all, have fun!

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