Regular readers of Edspire will know
That we adore messy play
The messier the better
It is something we have encouraged at home from a very early age
It is something we do in memory of Tilda
Messy and sensory play is fun
It is also creative and calming
Engaging and immersive
It can take little minds off bigger things
As fans of messy play
We were delighted on our latest trip to Coombe Mill
To discover the Mud Kitchen
Here Esther, William and Bea could spend hours
Doing their favourite things
Working together as a team
Using their imaginations
Getting very dirty and slightly soggy
And making a whole lot of muddy, magical mess
There are many reasons to let your children engage in messy play
Many reasons for parents and carers to join in
And get their hands dirty too
Here are just a few of them
Children use their imaginations to invent, concoct and create
Children talk about what they are doing and develop their vocabulary
Children can make plans
Children learn to find solutions to problems
Children learn to communicate, negotiate and collaborate
Children build up their immune systems by getting dirty and being outside
Children can learn about cause and effect
Children develop fine and gross motor skills
Children have fun and satisfy their sense of fascination, awe, wonder and curiosity
In the mud kitchen at Coombe Mill
Esther, William and Bea
Worked together as a team
They worked out who would use which tools, utensils and apparatus
They decided what their mud creations were
Mud muffins
Fairy soup
Thick, hot coffee
They poked and prodded
Slopped and stirred
They laughed and smiled and talked
They took turns and shared
They used their imaginations
Told stories
And acted out scenes
They used their maths skills
To estimate, measure and compare
It was wonderful to watch them play together
Learning alongside one another
Clearly demonstrating the many benefits
Of messy, sensory and outdoor play for everyone to see
Next year we are staying in a different house at Coombe Mill
Esther and William are very excited
Because it is right next to the mud kitchen
And they will be able to play there
Whenever they want
We are also making a mud kitchen of our own
This summer, as part of our house renovations
We are looking forward to lots more messy, muddy play
In the meantime
To keep our hands in
And to try something new
We are going to be tackling
Appliances Online’s Month of Messy Play
They have set a challenge for families
To complete 30 play activities together
The messier the better
After discovering that
41% of parents have discouraged messy play for reasons including germs and avoiding extra housework
30% of parents worry that their children do not spend enough time playing outside
Appliances Online want to help families get outside
And get their hands dirty through messy play
And we think it is a brilliant idea!
You can read more about the research from AO here
And join in the 30 days of messy fun here
This is a collaborative post
Hi Edspire,
We recently wrote a blog post about dirt and hygiene, but that was more related to the World Health Organisation. You wrote this blog post almost like a poem… very interesting. We share your point of view, look forward to your other post. 🙂