Messy Play
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Messy play is ideal for younger children's learning and development. It helps to spark creativity and imagination.
Through play medium, children get the opportunity to experience texture, colours, sound, size and shapes.
GLOOP GLOOP GLOOP
Gloop is easy to make and you can add things to change colour and texture. Gloop will give children a wonderful sensory experience
and sheer pleasure.
Aim is to encourage children to play freely and enjoy the sensual experience.
Age: Under 2 years
Equipment: Apron, safety mat, paper towels, shallow tray,
Site: Indoors or outdoors, floor or low table top
Home made gloop:
2 cups of cornflour
1 cup of water
Food colouring / glitter
A large container or bowl
What to do
Pour water in a jug, then add corn flour and mix. Pour the mixture into a shallow tray. Sprinkle red and green glitter or
drizzle blue and red food colouring.
- Sit with children and encourage them to explore the mixture with their senses.
- Encourage them to use their finger to make markings: lines, circles, shapes, numbers or letters.
- Interact with them by talking to them: ask what it feels like.
- Introduce words that describe the gloop: sticky, gluey, smooth, slippery, wet, dripping, drizzling.
- Encourage children to make sounds when playing with gloop.
- Describe the colours and shapes that children make with their fingers.
- Describe what they can do: make a swirl, draw a circle, swishing and swashing.
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Introduce some silence and give them space to
to let them explore and enjoy.
Benefits
- Acquire new words
- Develop muscles of the fingers and hands
- Learn new vocabulary
- Enhance emotional well-being
- Build confidence when finding hidden toys
- Improve eye and hand coordination
Develop social skills: taking turns, playing side be side harmoniously
Jelly and custard (or yogurt)
Luscious jelly and custard will make every child's mouth water; this sweet dessert is ideal to awaken all the senses, the taste, smell and sight
will bring endless pleasure to the children when playing with it.
Aim is to encourage children to have an all round sensory experience.
Age: Under 2 years
Equipment: Apron, safety mat, paper towels, shallow tray,
Site: Indoors or outdoors, floor or low table top
Safety guidance : supervise children
Items:
Ready made jelly - red, green and yellow
Ready made custard
Two plastic trays
What to do
Empty jelly into one tray and the custard into another tray. Place both trays beside each other on the mat either on the floor or
on a low table top.
Sit with children whilst they explore the mixture with their senses.
Encourage them to rub their hands into the mixture.
Interact with them by talking to them: ask what it feels like.
Introduce words that describe the jelly: slippery, slimey, sloppy, smooth, squiggly, squeezy, squashy,wobbly, wet.
- Describe the colours of the jelly and texture as lumpy.
- Encourage children to make sounds when playing with the jelly and custard.
- Allow children to taste the jelly and yogurt, and encourage them to explore their sense of smell and taste too, such
as jelly smells sweet and fruity, custard taste yummy and sweet.
Introduce some silence and give them space to let them explore and enjoy.
Benefits
- Learning to communicate - making sounds and expressing feelings.
- Nurturing emotional development- expressing enjoyment.
- Acquiring language - learning new words.
- Developing fine motor skills - finger muscles.
- Building confidence.
Dry flour and sugar and rice
Age: Under 2 years
Equipment: Apron, safety mat, paper towels, shallow tray,
Site: Indoors or outdoors, floor or low table top
Safety guidance : supervise children
Items:
1 cup of rice and food colouring
1 cup of dry flour
1 cup of sugar with glitter
What to do
Have the coloured rice prepared in advance:
Place a cup of rice in a bowl, add colouring and mix, then
leave it to dry in the sun or in a dry place before using them for play.
You can re-use the rice again, just store them in a air tight container.
In the tray, place section of rice, flour and sugar sprinkled with glitter, then place the tray on the floor or on a low table top.
- Sit with the children whilst they explore the different textures on the items on the tray
- Encourage them to make markings and rubbing hands in the flour and sugar.
- Interact with them by talking to them: ask what it feels like.
- Introduce words that describe the ingredients: soft white, fluffly, gritty, sparkling colours.
Benefits
Sensory experience will encourage children to:
- Communicate by making sounds and expressing themselves using facial and body language.
- Develop muscles of the fingers and hands.
- Learn new vocabulary.
- Enhance emotional well-being.
- Build confidence when finding hidden toys.
- Improve eye and hand coordination.
- Develop social skills: taking turns, playing side be side harmoniously.
Play dough
Age: 2 years and over
Equipment: Apron, safety mat, paper towels, shallow tray
Site: Indoors - floor or low table top
Home made dough:
I cup of cold water
1 cup of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of tartar
Food colouring
Natural scented extracts added to enhance sensory experience for children
What to do
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, then separate the mixture into 3 parts.
Add a different colour and scent to each of the 3 parts of the dough.
Sit with children and encourage them to play with the dough: rolling it, making balls, squeezing it or flattening it with their palms.
Kneading the dough and shaping it into objects of their imagination.
- Encourage the children to explore the dough with their senses.
- Interact with them by talking to them: ask what it feels like.
- Introduce words that describe the dough: rubbery, smooth, slippery, flexible.
- Encourage children to make sounds when playing with the dough.
- Describe the colours and shapes that children make with their fingers and hands.
- Introduce some silence and give them space to
to let them explore and enjoy.
Benefits
- Acquire new words
- Develop muscles of the fingers and hands
- Learn new vocabulary
- Enhance emotional well-being
- Build confidence when finding hidden toys
- Improve eye and hand coordination
Develop social skills: taking turns, playing side be side harmoniously