Children of every generation have indulged in messy play. All of us can recall the numerous warnings by our parents not to indulge in messy play. And now it is our turn to issue the same warnings to our children.

It is almost impossible to keep children away from messy play as they find it very attractive and never miss an opportunity to indulge in it. It’s a part of early education that helps the child enhance personal, emotional, social, intellectual, physical, sensory, cognitive, creative, interpersonal and communication skills. In fact, messy play is not about making a mess. It is all about doing things in the way a child want it done, although it may seem messy to others. As a result, it helps in total relaxation. In fact, messy play is also a suggested treatment for adults to help them relax. Messy play has no rules or barriers, hence children with special needs also enjoy it.

Although parents disapprove of messy play, it has many benefits. According to the article titled ‘Benefits of Messy Play’ written by Patricia Hughes in baby.more4kids.info, “Messy play stimulates the senses. The tactile experience gained during messy play helps little ones experience a variety of textures. During messy play, babies and toddlers are developing eye hand coordination and fine motor skills. What looks like a mess on the surface is truly a learning experience for your child.”

So, let your child be a messy little colour ball, because the messier, the merrier.