Messy play builds on children's curiosity and encourages a positive approach to new experiences. In messy play, children can develop concentration, problem-solving, planning and seeing things through to completion. It is an amazing part of their learning experience where they get the chance to see what happens if we mix things together. During Messy Play we see children take part in a sensory experience which supports their understanding of texture and where things come from. Children love mixing and pouring, exploring textures to see what they like and don't like and how things go together to make something else. The foundations of Chemistry can be gained from Messy Play where children can combine materials to make compounds, observe their findings and discuss why it may have happened. Such play provides meaningful opportunities for children to talk through activities, reflect and modify actions, negotiate plans and activities and to take turns in conversation. By investigating different materials in this way, by getting messy, children can find out so much about the world and it supports the foundation skills in all areas of their learning. An example of the type of Messy Play we use here at BISB is simply using cornflour and adding water. Great language comes from this type of experimentation enabling the children to discuss how a solid becomes a liquid and then forms back into a solid. Consequently, children need to get messy!
Sarah Thorpe