Messy play is great for your child's imagination, engages their senses and introduces them to lots of new words too.
Whether it's playing with water at home or stomping in muddy puddles, it can be a lot of fun for little ones.
Watch the video below to get some inspiration from our families.
The benefits of messy play
Children learn through experimentation and discovery, so messy play is the perfect way to encourage your child to explore new textures and manipulate different materials.
It can help children to learn to play independently, increase their attention span and build self-confidence.
It can teach them to use words for description and action words.
Image caption, You can try messy play indoors or outdoors.
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Different types of messy play
You could use water for messy play - all you need are some cups, jugs, colanders and other common household items. Allow your child to pour water from one to the other and splash about. Use action words like 'splash' and 'pour' and describe the feeling as they play, for example 'it's cold' and 'you're all wet'.
Children often love to splash about in muddy puddles. This gives a great opportunity to use words like 'splash'.
You could use edible items like cooked spaghetti or jelly for messy play, where your child might also taste things. This gives you even more to describe to them.
