Getting Down and Messy with Sensory Play
Let’s Get Messy!
Splish, splash, squelch and a squeeze…
These enticing sounds and engaging actions make for a curious little learner. There is something about splashing water, squeezing dough, sifting grains that make it so intriguing and interesting for children. The more unique the texture, the messier it is, the more fun it is for them.
While we adults think it’s just a mere mess, these messy and sensory play experiences provide a good learning and developmental opportunity for the children. It engages them in endless hours of fun, captivates their imagination, and arouses their curiosity. Having them explore the world through their senses allows for better reception (of the world they live in) and makes it easier for them to make sense of things.
Children learn by doing, through example, but best through play. After all, in the famous words of Maria Montessori, “Play is the child’s work.” Here at Casita, we firmly believe in open-ended and child-led play. Messy and sensory play is definitely a good start to exploring open-ended and child-led play. If you simply allow your children to immerse themselves in play, you’ll be amazed at what beautiful creations they can create out of the mess--a beautiful and creative mess unique to your own child. These messy and sensory play experiences bring out their innate curiosity and creativity that will help boost their love for learning--a value that will help them in their lifelong journey of discovery and learning.
How is messy and sensory play beneficial?
There is so much more to sensory play than meets the eye. As your child’s brain develops, it needs to build and strengthen its sensory-related synapses and functions. From birth until 5 years old, a child builds the most synapses in his/her lifetime. You can just imagine how crucial sensory experiences are during this time of a child’s life. The more sensory experiences your child is exposed to, the more neural pathways or synapses are created in order to rewire the way the brain functions, which in turn lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks. Essentially, your child is able to develop proper sensory processing abilities and self-regulation through sensory play.
Self-regulation is so important for a child to learn. It is something they will bring into adulthood and help them identify how best to manage their feelings in certain situations. (This is why a child throws a tantrum as they cannot self regulate their emotions and why these are manifested outwardly and physically.) Sensory experiences are great learning opportunities for children to get used to new situations, handle different materials and manage their discomfort when introduced to new experiences.
The skills they use as they work their hands through the different textures and mediums help improve their fine and gross motor development and hand-eye coordination. Simply sifting the sand or grains of rice, squeezing, kneading and rolling dough help strengthen the muscles in their hands and fingers. Handling and holding objects big and small refine their hand control and helps improve their grasp which will help prepare them for writing.
Aside from these skills and motor development, they get exposed to art, early math and science concepts. Engaging in messy and sensory play can be a precursor to early STEAM. They learn how to create and build, introduce them to measurements and reactions, and how to make and appreciate art.
Equally important are the life skills and values they learn when they are taught to clean up themselves afterwards, taught to appreciate uniqueness in creativity and how something beautiful can be made out of something even from a mess, and how one can learn from mistakes even if it means doing things over again. They are taught early on how to investigate and observe. Sensory play encourages children to adopt a curious and open-minded attitude towards learning, foster independence and decision making skills as they have the opportunity to choose how to play, reinforce creative thinking and problem solving skills as they deal with different causes and outcomes.
Where and How to start?
These are some questions that most parents and caregivers ask. You actually don’t need much to begin with. Simple household items are sometimes all you need--water, rice and beans, pasta, paint, the list goes on. And another crucial ingredient, a safe space for children to explore. Give them the space, the tools and the medium, and you’ll see how the child goes about their play--a creative work in process.
