What if I don’t have a messy Little Learner?

Messy play and mark making – it’s what we do. But what happens if your little one DOESN’T like getting messy?! Does that mean that they can’t enjoy and get the most out of the sessions?

No!

Tasting during play is a great way to introduce messy play! — Playing with oats – what fun!

Sessions at Little Learners always have a range of activities – wet, dry, paint, messy, playdough, fine motor, puzzles and more! As class leaders, we try and ensure that we are giving a good choice of sensory experiences each week (which is why no two weeks are ever the same!). This also allows your little one to start to develop and find out about their preferences. There are always lots of activities that will develop your child’s mark making skills without getting wet, mucky or sticky – things like colouring, pasta play, oats, jigsaws and bingo dabbers.

Sand is a great not so messy activity! — Sand play – familiar and fun

My nephew is a ‘clean’ child (well, he has his moments!) – he doesn’t like sticky textures and so rice play and cereals will always be his favourite activities. Over time, he has learned how to use a range of tools to explore some of our messy trays, and Granny once showed him that cake mix TASTES nice as well as looks good!

Please don’t worry if your child doesn’t end up getting covered in paint, sand and spaghetti – it doesn’t matter. Only last week a parent commented to me that she had had to change her Little Learners clothes at the end of the session for the first time – what progress! What DOES matter is that both you and your child enjoy yourselves and explore the activities on offer in whichever way suits you both best.

Flour – just as messy as everything wet!

If you really want your child to get stuck into messy materials, water play is a great entry-level activity. They will also learn from you so rather than making “yuck!” noises, try some oohs and ahhs, smile and offer your hand or a tool for them to start investigating with.

Don’t forget, your class leader will also be there to help, and if there’s a messy material that your little one starts to enjoy, don’t be surprised when you see it crop up again – we’re always watching!

Anita

Little Learners South Colchester