One of the most enriching – and easiest – activities we do in the classrooms at Citibabes is “messy play.”

Scared? Take a deep breath. “Messy” doesn’t have to mean mud pies and finger paint frescoes.

What if I told you “messy play” simply means sensory exploration and that the benefits – confidence, self-expression, pre-math concepts and investigative skills – can be gained from something as unmessy as homemade play dough (check out our How-To Video for the recipe!) or a dip in the tub with some shaving cream.

Read on for more classroom-tested tips.

-Tracey Frost Rensky

At Citibabes, “messy play” is one of our most utilized early childhood education approaches as the benefits dovetail perfectly with our child-led, creative arts teaching philosophy.

The Basics of Sensory Play:

- Sensory play utilizes all 5 senses, but the sense of touch is often the most frequent – and fun – focus of “messy play.”

- Sensory play encourages children to manipulate and mold materials on their own.

- Sensory play is process-driven, not product-oriented; it is the purest sense of exploratory learning.

Why “messy play”?

While we all process information through our five senses, babies and toddlers rely on their sense of touch – and often taste – to gain insight into the world around them. Lacking the kind of language skills that allow for questioning aspects of our environment, young children learn about things not by asking, but by exploring.

Benefits of messy play:

Self-expression: Messy play offers kids a chance for real self-expression because there is no “right” answer. Materials can be worked and reworked endlessly, meaning a child can create something and recreate it over and over. Unlike painting a picture – which requires a new blank page if you change your mind- sensory play is malleable and ripe for reinvention.

Self-esteem: Since messy play is not about a finished product, children who may be sensitive about “failure” or performance can build confidence in this process-focused activity.

Social: Messy play is universally loved by children; whether kids are pre-language and can’t talk with one another, or are just meeting for the first time, playing with sensory materials in a group fosters bonding as children discover aspects of the material together, no language required!

Investigation skills: Children hone basic problem-solving skills each time they are allowed to manipulate materials and objects freely. Kids gain a greater understanding of cause and effect – why doesn’t the bubble pop when it lands gently on my hand? Why does the ice-cube melt faster if I shake it?

Pre-math concepts: When children explore materials they can manipulate on their own, often they are also exploring shapes, spatial relationships and sequences. For example making a “cake” out of play dough and cutting it into slices is a precursor to fractions; pouring sand into a funnel deals with volume.

Physical: Sensory play encourages fine-motor skills and coordination whether they are working with the material alone (such as play dough) or adding objects to the material, such as spoons and cups to dried rice or running a hair comb through shaving cream.

Messy play at Citibabes:

We offer classes specifically focused on tactile creativity, such as Paint and Play (ages 18-24 months, 2 years) during which children experience a rotating array of artist materials at different “sensory tables;” and CitiArt (ages 18-24 months, 2 years) during which children are encouraged to create art using paint, dough, collage and sculpture.

In addition to art classes, we also offer sensory exploration in science-driven classes like Think Tank (ages 2, 3 and 4-5 years) where children explore the natural world tactilely whether it’s at a water station, bin of soil with earth worms or fizzing vinegar and baking soda volcanoes; and Kitchen Lab (ages 3 and 4-5 years), during which children use kitchen materials to explore basic science and cooking lessons with their hands and taste buds!

Lastly, much of our sensory play is woven throughout all of our classes:

Bubbles: You will find our instructors using bubbles in all of our music classes, from infant to older children.

Sand: We have a sand table available in all of our CitiSchool classes. We regularly rotate complimentary objects into the sand, ranging from simple tools such as funnels, cups and spoons to imaginative-play toys like animals, vehicles and people.

Sensory bins: We have sensory bins in our classrooms containing materials that may change depending upon seasons or classroom activities, i.e. fall leaves in autumn, pine cones in winter, dried pasta during our Passport Project unit on Italy, rice during our lesson on Chinese New Year, and dried beans during our unit on Mexico, etc.

Play dough: We use homemade play dough (see Citibabes’ signature recipe in our How-To video series) in all of our CitiSchool classes, combined with rollers, cookie cutters, popsicle sticks, chopsticks and pipe cleaners for both sensory and imaginative play.

Shaving Cream: In our 2s class, we use shaving cream in plastic trays.

Textured puzzles and toys: We utilize many toys and manipulatives specially designed to heighten a child’s tactile awareness.

Messy play at home:

A few tips and ideas for messy play at home include:

Make homemade play dough: It is inexpensive, easy and non-toxic.

Shaving cream in the bathtub: This is great for a hot day, this super-sensory activity is a cinch to clean up as it just goes down the drain.

Kitchen cupboard finds: We love using dried food goods like beans and pasta at school – kids love to count out individual pieces, as well as scoop the material from one bowl to another using a spoon or small paper cup. We also love turning cornstarch and water into mysterious material that’s part-liquid, part-solid and ALL fun.

Always include children in the “clean-up” of messy play:  It takes the intimidation out of getting things dirty and builds a sense of personal responsibility and respect for one’s surroundings at a young age.

By Erika Thormahlen, teacher & creative consultant, Citibabes