messy monkeys messy play helps babies and toddlers explore their developing senses and their blossoming creativity in a fun and safe environment.
Messy play sessions with messy monkeys are fantastic for early child development – although we have lots of fun at our classes our messy play is much more than just a giggle! Our messy play classes are linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage so parents can see how their babies and toddlers are learning skills at every class.
Attending a messy monkeys messy play session is a great way for your baby or toddler to explore different materials and textures, learn about cause and effect and to develop motor and language skills. Free and creative play is an essential part of a child’s learning process, assisting in the understanding of science and maths and well as developing talent in arts and crafts.
Messy play is a fabulous way of allowing young children to gain confidence in their own imagination. At messy monkeys we focus our messy play on unstructured sensory exploration allowing babies and toddlers the freedom to create their own messy masterpieces to take home each week and treasure.
Allowing children to explore different materials and textures helps them to learn about the mechanics of the world around them… it might just look like a bit of a giggle but for babies and toddlers messy monkeys messy play is serious learning!
Not only do children develop early skills in mark making, but they also gain an insight into the basics of science and maths; learning about gravity, cause and effect, the difference between liquids and solids and how different substances react in different situations.
Messy play is a fabulous way of allowing babies and toddlers to gain confidence in their own imagination rather than giving them structured, adult led activities. By focusing on the ‘process’ rather than the ‘product’ children gain confidence in their own choices and ideas, rather than simply trying to do what they think adults want them to do. We pride ourselves on saying “yes, you can!” to our babies and toddlers creating a super relaxed messy play environment for all our messy monkeys.
People learn new things in different ways; some visually by watching others, some aurally by listening to information and others kinaesthetically by physically doing a task. Messy play appeals to the kinaesthetic learner who isn’t content sitting, passively listening, but would rather be physically involved. The vast majority of babies and toddlers are kinaesthetic learners, hence their enthusiasm for messy play!
There is evidence to suggest that babies who experience messy play from an early age are more open to weaning; if they are happy covering themselves with paint and rice at a messy monkeys messy play class probably won’t mind being covered with spaghetti bolognaise at meal times! Messy play can help to minimise fears of exploring different textures, a battle some parents face in getting their babies to try new foods.
It is easy to see how plentiful the benefits of messy play are in terms of early child development and the great thing is that babies and toddlers love messy monkeys too!
