The Imagination Tree

Creative play and learning for kids

Messy Play- Jelly

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Today we played with lemon and strawberry jelly.

Lemon and strawberry jelly smooshed up in an oven dish with spoons, cups, sieves and ice cream scoops.

And plenty of hands!
There was no direction or end purpose in mind. Just the experience of squishing and squeezing, tasting and exploring using all of the senses. 

Messy play is open-ended, fun and leads to lots of imaginative play and investigation. C spent most of her time pouring, tipping and scooping using the spoons and cups and her hands. I was surprised how long it took her to taste it and her reaction when she did. First she was confused (hmmm, this isn’t what the normal play-dough/ paint/ glue tastes like!) and then delighted and exclaimed “oooh TASTY!”

Needless to say, quite a lot of eating then occurred. Thankfully we were doing this after meal time so that it didn’t interfere with her appetite!

Messy play is by its very definition “messy”, and therefore we often take some persuading to do it. We all like neat and tidy activities that are quick and easy to manage, and usually that have a specific end product in mind. But young children need as many tactile, multi-sensory experiences as possible in order to learn about the world. And coupling these with play makes the perfect vehicle for learning.
Burnadette Duffy wrote for the EYFS:
To mess about is to play with something and it is through play – which is part of the creative process – that children learn and develop. Children are being creative when they use materials in new ways, combine previously unconnected materials and make discoveries that are new to them, and messy play enables children to do all these things. It is this aspect of messy play that we want to emphasise.. play that emphasises the active exploration of materials and their properties. 
More easy, peasey messy play activities coming up soon. Relax and have fun! 


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