portage-messy-play

Portage and Early Support ServicesMessy Play

What is messy play?All children learn through play. Thereare many different sorts of play. Messyplay is a fun and interesting way forchildren to explore and learn aboutthe world around them.A wide range of materials can be usedfor messy play, including:• paint;• play dough;• water;• sand;• pasta;• rice;• bubbles;• shaving foam;• jelly;• baby oil or lotion;• paper; and• cornflour.We may need to give some childrenextra help and encouragement to takepart in messy play. Young children maysometimes be unsure about touchingcertain textures and may need supportfrom an adult or other child.

How can messyplay help a child’sdevelopment?There are many reasons why messyplay can help children learn.• It helps children become moreindependent. Children take partin an activity that they create.Theyare able to decide how they wantto play and can use the materials inthe way that they choose.This buildsconfidence because the child is incontrol.• It helps develop movement,co-ordination and control. Messyplay gives children the opportunityto explore materials using theirhands, arms, feet and bodies.• It helps develop language andcommunication. Children will learnnew words that describe the thingsthey see, feel, hear, smell and taste.• It helps children to be creativeand use their imagination. Regularopportunities for free play allowchildren to create their own activitiesin their own way.• It helps extend children’sknowledge and understanding ofthe world. Children can investigateobjects, textures and a range ofmaterials.• It helps children use their senses.Children experience differentsensations and have the opportunityto respond in a variety of ways to thethings they see, hear, smell, tasteand touch.• It helps encourage social play.Children join in activities with otherchildren and learn social skills asthey play. They learn to take turns,share and interact with each other.• It provides opportunities forchildren to express themselvesand their emotions. Variousmaterials can encourage differentfeelings – for example, corn flourcan be soothing and play doughcan be used to relieve tension bypressing and squeezing it.• It encourages children to makechoices. When exploring andinvestigating a range of materials,children have more opportunitiesto show preferences and makechoices.• It helps children developconcentration and problemsolvingskills. Children becomeabsorbed in their activities. Messyplay gives children the opportunityto work things out themselves andexperiment safely. Young childrenlearn best through practicalexperiences.

There are threestages ofmessy play.Messy play has to be introducedgradually. We need to be very awareof the child’s reaction to differenttextures. This is to make sure that thechild does not come across texturesthey don’t like, which may lead themto resisting and becoming moresensitive to texture. It is also importantthat we show the child that we enjoymessy play and this will encouragethe child to enjoy it too.Messy play can be divided into threestages. It is important to identifythe stage your child is at and workthrough that stage towards the next.Stage one –general playSome materials you could use are:• dry rice;• dry pasta;• beans (not kidney beans) driedpeas, pulses or lentils;• sand;• tinsel;• shredded paper;• scrunched up paper;• chalk;• sequins;• pebbles or stones;• crayons, pencils or pens;• sawdust; or• cereal.This involves giving the childopportunities to investigate materialsthat are hard and dry. This stageis comfortable for most childrenas many have experienced thesetextures around them already.

Stage two – playusing soft texturesThis is play that uses materials with asoft texture. Wet materials can be putinto zip lock bags or covered with clingfilm to reduce the effect of the materialsand make it easier for children whoare sensitive to new textures to starthandling them. Make sure these bagsare sealed and do not leak.Some materials you could use for softtexture play are:• cooked pasta, including spaghetti;• bread dough;• play dough;• wet sand;• squishy balls;• soft materials(for example, fur or velvet);• sponges;• balloons; or• bags of different materials(for example, gel, shaving foamor wet cornflakes).Stage three – messyplay using soft andwet texturesThis is messy play that involvesmaterials that are soft, wet and reallymessy. Children may take sometime to work up to this stage. Youmay need to ease a child into thesetypes of activities and be aware ofthem resisting or becoming sensitivetowards certain textures. Always showyour child that you are enjoying theexperience of handling the materialseven if this is difficult for you.Some materials you could use are:• paint;• cornflour;• water;• shaving foam;• baby oil or baby lotion;• wet mud;• bubbles;• papier mâché;• food; or• glue.

Why do somechildren not likemessy play?Some children may become stuck ata certain stage and may be nervous ofmoving on to the next.Early negative experiences of texturemay cause the child to be resistant andunwilling to try again.The child may never have had anyexperience of messy play and may bewary about handling different materials.How can you helpyour child to enjoymessy play?Introduce messy-play activitiesgradually. Your child may need to workon one stage for some time beforemoving on.As well as setting aside some timefor particular activities, try to includemessy play in everyday life, such ascooking, gardening and bath time.Make sure that you provide enoughtime and space for your child to enjoythe activity. Where possible, the childshould decide how long to play for.This will be shown by their interest andconcentration.Always gently encourage play, do notforce it. Encouraging brothers or sistersto join in the play is a great way for achild to observe what is happeningand be more willing to explore.Whenever possible (and within reason),allow the child to direct the activity.You may have had an idea of whatyou wanted your child to do but this istheir play. Allow your child to explorethemselves.Join in. Children look to adults as theirrole models. If you give it a try, this willgive them confidence and they aremore likely to follow your example.

CornflourCornflour is very cheap to buy and youcan get it from most supermarkets.Put some cornflour into a bowl andgradually add water. Gently mix untilyou get the consistency you want.Try out different consistencies to seewhich your child prefers.You can add food colourings and mixcolours together.Pour the cornflour onto a tray or plateand encourage your child to movetheir fingers and hands or otherobjects through it.Great objects to use include:• plastic cars;• Lego blocks;• marbles;• blunt pencils;• sticks;• spoons;• forks; or• scoops.PaintThere are many types of paintingactivities. It is important to provide arange and allow children to exploreand create their own play with theresources provided. Children can usetheir hands, sponges, brushes or othertools. Be creative.Painting pavements or patiosUse pots of water and brushes to paintoutside. Encourage children to paintfences, trees and the pavement. Thisis great as it provides the child with lotsof space and encourages them to usetheir imaginations. You could also crushup some chalk and add a little water tocreate a paint consistency. This is greatto use as it can be washed away withwater afterwards. Some children lovethis part of the activity as they can usebrooms to make it all disappear.

Textured paintAdd different materials to paint tocreate a new aspect to the activity.Add different textures to thick paint forhand-painting activities. Use materialsthat have a smell to add more to theexperience.Materials you could use include:• coffee granules;• sand;• cornmeal;• pulses;• rice; or• salt.Marble paintingPlace a piece of paper flat inside adeep-sided tray. Have a few saucersor pots with different coloured paintin each. Add a few marbles to eachpot. Take a few marbles at a time anddrop them into the tray. Encouragethe child to move the tray around,making sure the marbles are movingacross the tray. Add more paint to themarbles if you need to. When finished,take out the paper and look at thepatterns that have been created.Many objects can be used to addmore to a painting activity.• Brushes• Leaves• Twigs• Fruit and vegetables (for example,apples, potatoes, corn on the cob)• Flowers• Forks• Fir cones• Spaghetti• Hairbrushes• Scourers• Toy cars• String• Marbles• Cotton-wool balls• Scrunched paper• Straws• Buttons• Cotton reels• Sponges• Wooden blocks• Lolly sticks• Plastic toys or plastic figures• A turkey baster• A feather duster• Toothbrushes• Rice• Bubble wrap• coffee granules;• sand;• cornmeal;• pulses;• rice; or• salt.Children can also use their hands,feet and elbows to make patternsin the paint.

Messy play –stage oneAimTo confidently explore hard and drymaterialsWhat you will needThe child’s favourite small toys –for example, a car, ball, train, toyfigure, animal figures, dry sand orshredded paperWords you can use during playNames of objectsSand, car, ball, train, cow, dinosaur,hands, fingersAction wordsHiding, finding, digging, feeling,searching, pouring, picking up,droppingDescriptive wordsHard, soft, gritty, dry, gone, coldSteps along the way (remember,this may take many weeks)Step one – your child watches youfind the toysStep two – your child holds your armwhile they find the toysStep three – your child directs yourhand to find the toys or uses a tool(for example, a spade)Step four – your child takes a toy thatyou have foundStep five – your child takes out toys thatthey have partly hidden on their ownStep six – your child takes out toys thatthey have fully hidden on their ownWhat to doYou should show the child the toys youare going to hide in the sand or paper.Then search for each toy. Use simplelanguage such as ‘Where’s car?’ Whenyou find the toy, use an excited voice tosay what you found. Encourage yourchild to join in. Never force the child totouch the sand or paper, but follow theabove steps along the way. Go at thechild’s pace. Finish the activity beforethe child loses interested or getsdistressed.

Ways you can help yourchild to playTo make the activity easier• Do not rush through the steps.• Use a shallow tray and large toys.• Get brothers and sisters involved.• Use tools to pick up the toys (forexample, a spoon, spade or tongs).To make the activity harder.• Increase the number of toys you hide.• Bury the toys deeper or make thecontainer larger.• Increase the number of otherchildren joining in the activity.Other activities you could try• Making faces using dry foods ormaterials and a glue stick• Handling pretend plastic foodand real food that is hard and dry(for example, unpeeled carrots,potatoes, apples, bananas)• Putting hard and dry objects intofeely bags• Treasure hunts• Linking play into seasonal themes(for example, Christmas, Diwali,festivals and holidays)

Messy play –stage twoAimTo confidently explore soft andtextured materialsWhat you will needTexture books (you can make theseyourself or buy them), vegetable orsponge shapes, paint in shallow traysWords you can use during playNames of objectsPaint, potato, carrot, pepper, broccoli,sponge, star, cotton reel, book, pageAction wordsFeeling, touching, printing, pressing,looking, turning, squeezing, stroking,rubbingDescriptive wordsFurry, shiny, smooth, rough, bumpy,warm, cold, squashy, squishy,, fast,slow, soft, hard, gentlySteps along the way (remember,this may take many weeks)Step one – your child watches youprint or touch texturesStep two – your child holds your armwhile you print or touch texturesStep three – your child directs yourhand to print or touch texturesStep four – your child presses ortakes away the vegetable or spongeto print, or turns a page of the bookStep five – your child uses a cleanvegetable or sponge to print, ortouches some textures in the bookStep six – your child uses anyvegetable or sponge to print morethan once, or touches all the texturesin the bookWhat to doShow the child the materials anddemonstrate how the activity works.Use simple language such as ‘inpaint’, ‘press shape’, ‘made pattern’or ‘ahh, soft, furry cat, and roughcrocodile’. Encourage your child tojoin in. Never force the child to touchthe textures, but follow the abovesteps along the way. Go at the child’space. Finish the activity before thechild loses interest or gets distressed.

Ways you can help yourchild to playTo make the activity easier• Do not rush through the steps.• Use larger printing materials, andsmall paint trays.• Get brothers and sisters involved.To make the activity harder• Use smaller printing materials andlarger, deeper paint trays.• Use feely bags, with pieces ofdifferent material to find in it.• Increase the number of otherchildren joining in the activity.Other activities you could try• Finger painting• Hiding objects in cooked rice,pasta or wet sand• Cooking activities (for example,using spoons and whisks)• Putting paint in trays, and pushingcars or balls in it• Mixing cooked spaghetti withpaint for printing• Making shapes in play doughusing cutters• Painting marbles using tongs

Messy play –stage threeAimTo confidently explore wet and stickymaterialsWhat you will needCornflour in a tray, lolly sticks, twigs, toycutleryWords you can use during playNames of objectsCornflour, stick, twig, knife, fork, spoonAction wordsFeeling, touching, pressing, looking,cutting, squeezing, drawing, pulling,pushing, swirling, falling, dripping,grabbing, letting go, dribblingDescriptive wordsSlippery, wet, shiny, smooth, warm,cold, squashy, squishy, fast, slow, soft,hard, sticky, messy, funny, pattern,gone, disappear, moreSteps along the way (remember,this may take many weeks)Step one – your child watches youexplore the textureStep two – your child holds your armwhile you explore the textureStep three – your child directs yourhand to explore the textureStep four – your child uses a tool toexplore the texture on their ownStep five – your child uses their ownfingers to explore the texture on their ownStep six – your child uses their wholehands to explore the texture on their ownWhat to doShow the child the materials and howto use them. Use simple languagesuch as ‘make pattern’, ‘fingers sticky’,‘drip drip’, ‘watch me’, ‘all gone’ and‘take more’. Encourage your child tojoin in. Never force the child to touchthe textures, but follow steps along theway. Go at the child’s pace. Finish theactivity before the child loses interestor gets distressed.To make the activity easier• Do not rush through the steps.• Use a small tray.• Get brothers and sisters involved.To make the activity harder• Only use hands, and use both hands.• Use a larger tray and add colour.• Increase the number of otherchildren involved.Other activities you could try• Making faces on paper plates ora collage using different textures• Using fingers instead of gluespreaders• Putting foam in a tray• Cooking activities(for example, making fairy cakes)• Mixing paint with sand and glitter

This booklet has been developed by Barkingand Dagenham Portage in consultationwith Barking and Dagenham EducationalPsychology Service.Illustrations by S L HalliwellPortage and Early SupportLondon Borough of Barking and Dagenham50 Markyate RoadDagenhamRM8 2LDPhone: 020 8724 8550Fax: 020 8517 4785MC4909