Let's Get Messy!

March 8, 2023

THE BENEFITS OF MESSY PLAY FOR A CHILD’S PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Messy play helps young children develop their early motor skills. When children squeeze play dough, scoop up sand or make marks in flour, they are learning to refine their fine motor skills by using the muscles in their fingers, wrists, arms, toes, and shoulders to make small movements. Children also practice coordinating their fine motor skills by combining muscles together when picking up different objects throughout the messy play.

GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

When children jump in the water, throw sand, or produce large-scale mark-making with bigger objects such as paint swatters, they are also enhancing their gross motor skills. Children use the larger muscles in their arms, legs, feet, and bodies to make bigger movements that support balance, coordination, and strength.

MUSCLE STRENGTHENING

When children practice fine and gross motor skills in messy play, they are strengthening their muscles and developing muscle control in their bodies. Introducing children to a variety of messy play activities will build up strength in their different muscle groups. Mark making in paint helps children improve the muscles in their hands and fingers, which also prepares them for holding a pencil and controlling these movements for writing, whereas, activities such as stomping in custard will strengthen the muscles in their legs.

HAND-EYE COORDINATION

Experimenting with a messy play through touch also enhances the children’s hand-eye coordination. Certain messy play activities prompt and improve children’s concentration, such as cutting shapes out of playdough or picking up small items and putting them in small places helps children develop the skill of grasp and release as well as their hand-eye coordination

BODY CONTROL & BALANCE

Messy play is an extremely hands-on sensory activity, which enhances children’s body control and balances through the large and small movements that they make when they play. Simple actions, such as holding a paintbrush or pouring water from one container to another, help children focus their fine and gross motor skills, which improves their control and balance with practice.

Why we do Messy Play in Childcare

Valentines DayOur Toddler Program