Say the words 'messy play' and most practitioners see images of sticky, drippy little hands coming towards them.
But while the 'clear up' factor might be high, so too are the benefits of such play, as Tarina Bowring from the Hull Childminding Network explains. 'Messy play gives children so much. They learn about different textures and consistencies and see how things can be changed from solids to liquids.'
For Leanne Walker from Patchwork Pre-school in East Sussex, seeing the way in which children learn to concentrate is one of the key benefits. 'Just last week, we put out wet sand. The children loved it and were digging and building with it. It was not just the children, though, who enjoyed it. I found myself playing alongside them and exploring its properties.'
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