Diane Smith and Nicky Pitman from Richmond Childminding Association (richmondca.org.uk) present the benefits of messy play, with practical tips on how to provide messy play from easy to find resources. The presentation also contains the relevant links to the EYFS.

1. HAVING FUN AT HOME
WITH MESSY PLAY
With Diane Smith and Nichola Pitman
RCA Conference & AGM - 05.10.13

2. What is Messy Play?
• Messy play is an important part of early
years provision, and is an important
element to support children’s learning
and development.

3. Messy Play Involves
• Children using all their senses in the
process of exploration, especially the
sense of touch
• Offering children plenty of opportunity
to mould and manipulate
• Not having a focus on making or
producing something
Messy play is also about having fun!!!

4. Children will gain far more from
the experience of exploring
messy play activities that have
been prepared for them if we
(the adults) engage in the process
with them

5. Messy Play & Child Development
Children:• decide how they want to play with and use the materials in a
way that they choose, building confidence, making choices and showing preferences
• play with these materials in small groups, with others or alongside an adult which
encourages turn taking, sharing and interaction which are fundamental for
developing social skills
• with supportive adult interaction, children will develop their language,
communication and vocabulary as they learn more words to describe what
they are exploring through their body and senses
• become absorbed in these types of activities which will develop their
concentration skills
• extend their knowledge of the world by investigating different materials
• develop their movement and co-ordination by exploring resources with their
whole body (hands, arms, feet and body) and all of their senses (smell, taste,
sight and touch)
• extend their use of imagination which helps to develop their creative skills through
individual self expression.
Messy play does not always require an end product

6. Types of Messy Play
Dry
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Rice
Pasta (different varieties)
Pulses & lentils
Shredded paper(different types)
Tinsel
Sequins
Pebbles/stones
Sawdust/hay/straw
Cereals
Flour
Soil
Herbs
Sticks, leaves, acorns, cones
Compost
Wet
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Paint
Wet pasta
Cornflour (gloop)
Wet soil/mud
Soap flakes
Shaving foam
Jelly
Instant mash
Custard
Water
Ice
Wet cereals
Baked Beans
Water & bubbles
Remember: always check for allergies

7. Messy Play Equipment
& Resources
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cat litter tray
tuff spot or builder tray
plastic knives, forks and spoons
different sized pots & pans (metal & plastic)
wooden spoons
different sized jugs (for adding water)
Plastic covering for floor
Selection of different kinds of brushes

8. A SELECTION OF
MESSY PLAY IDEAS

9. Messy Play Activities
Pasta Play
• Cooked coloured pasta (using food dye) in a tray, or plain with paint
in pots to add in
• Dry (same or different varieties) pots/pans and utensils for filling/emptying
(plastic or metal or both) with spoons/utensils for filling and emptying
• Dry pasta in bowls in home corner to u se for pretend cooking
• Added into jelly so children can pull it out

10. Messy Play Activities
Shredded Paper Play
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Home shredded paper, coloured paper, newspaper, tissue paper
Hide different resources i.e. numbers, letters, animals, etc.
Make it a seasonal activity i.e. hide eggs and chicks for Easter
Put in a tray on table or tuff spot on floor

11. Messy Play Activities
Jelly Play
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Set jelly in plastic bowl or cat litter tray
Add in resources i.e. animals, insects, cooked spaghetti
Put in seasonal resources i.e. spiders for Halloween
Place on table or tuff spot on floor for children to explore

12. Messy Play Activities
Shaving Foam Play
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Use in bowl, tray, tuff spot or direct onto table or plastic mat
Add in resources such as buttons, glitter, paint, animals, cars, etc.
Use as a seasonal activity i.e. add glitter and pine cones for Christmas
Resource with utensils and brushes

13. Messy Play Activities
Hay/Straw Play
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Use hay or stray in tray, box or tough spot
Add/hide different types of resources i.e. farm animals, people, etc.
Add in seasonal resources i.e. root vegetables for Harvest time
Make it part of an activity such as a farm and animals with tractors

14. Messy Play Activities
Cereal Play
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Use different cereals i.e. Shreddies, Cheerio’s, Cornflakes, Weetabix
Use dry or add in water
Use different pots/pans and utensils for filling and emptying
Place on table or tuff spot on floor for children to explore

15. Messy Play Activities
Water Play
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Fill bowl, litter tray or tuff spot with water
Add in colourings or essences
Use as part of a topic i.e. fish/shells in blue water
Use different pots and pans for filling and emptying

16. Linking Messy Play to the EYFS
Areas of Learning
How it links in
Communication & Language
• Language for communicating, listening, reading and writing
• Opportunities to speak and listen
• Develops fine/gross motor skills and co-ordination
• Learn about using tools and equipment
• Encourages body control, balance, and poise, in large and small movements
Literacy
• Encourages language development
• Opportunities to make marks
Mathematics
Specific Areas
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Physical Development
Prime Areas
Personal, Social & Emotional
Development
• Encourages the use of positional language i.e. full/empty
• Opportunities for counting and number recognition
• Learn concept of shape and size
Knowledge & Understanding of the
World
• Encourages children’s interests in the world they live
• Children can observe, select and manipulate materials and identify similar features,
similarities and differences
• Set their own challenges to find out about cause and effect
Expressive Art & Design
• Exploring new media and materials
• Encourages imagination
• Fosters their interests allowing them to respond to what they hear, see, smell, touch
and feel
• Notice what adults and other children do and imitate what is observed
• Use them in representational play
• Exploring colour, shape, texture, form and space
Playing alongside each other and building relationships
Encourages skills of sharing, observing, interaction and behaviour
Exploring and enjoying new experiences
Encourages independence through choice
Opportunities to represent experiences, feeling s and thoughts