MonkeyMoos Winklebury had the most fabulous ‘Stay and Play’ session with their babies and families on Tuesday 6th December. It has been so wonderful having parents come and join in the fun with their children, especially after covid restrictions being in place. There is nothing quite like the joy on children (and parents) faces when they get to experience messy play together!
With the weather turning colder, the babies have been exploring a beautiful Winter Wonderland. The staff created the inviting activity by adding flour (snow of course!), white pasta (large chunks of snow) and blue, icy water for their penguins to enjoy! How imaginative! There was also a snowman and ice to really give the full Winter Wonderland experience!!
Messy and sensory play is a huge part of our day at MonkeyMoos! We recognise why messy and sensory play is so important. But it’s just a mess, isn’t it? WRONG! It is super important as it helps the little ones to understand all of their senses. Not forgetting that it can develop a child’s imagination, offer enriched language opportunities and support those much needed social interactions.
I’m sure as adults we can all remember those days when we made MUD PIES adding more and more water to create that wonderful slimy mud for our own parents to ‘eat.’ The activities the children and parents explored during their ‘Stay and Play’ session created that same awe and wonder… a Winter Wonderland created with flour and ice! A wonderful way to explore and learn.
Don’t just take our word for it, The Department of Education says “The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media
and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts.”
One of our wonderful family members summed it up perfectly as they left the ‘Stay and Play’ session, “A MESSY child is a HAPPY child.” Which is exactly what we love at MONKEYMOOS. Thank you for all who came along for the fun!