Why is making a mess so much fun?
Posted by Eric on June 10, 2008
Even though the cleanup is often no fun at all, making messes is great fun for parents and kids of all ages. Who doesn’t love finger painting or turning a pile of sand into mud with some water?
Not only is making a mess fun for kids, it can be good (and fun) for parents too. As parents and tidy housekeepers it seems like we spend countless hours cleaning, organizing, and put everything in its place. Occasionally making a mess can help you loosen up bit and be a little more apt to simply “go with the flow.”
The truth is that messy play is actually very good for children. Kids get to use their imaginations and play and explore their surroundings without worrying about staying inside the lines. They can freely engage their senses and develop their creativity. Besides, the smile on a child’s face as muck oozes between their fingers is priceless.
Some fun things to make a mess with include:
• Paint - Both finger paints and brushes can easily turn the the cleanest child into a colorful mess and their canvas into a priceless work of art.
• Mud - The king of all mess making materials. A little mud and dirt never hurt anyone.
• Food - I’ve watched our 2 year old daughter try to eat spaghetti on numerous occasions and we usually both end up laughing. Cooking (especially mixing cookie dough) also seems to be a fun and purposeful way to make a mess with a great reward for cleaning up.
• Sand - Our daughter could play in her sandbox for hours. Sand will be everywhere, but she will be happy. Try Moon Sand for an interesting indoor alternative.
• Play Doh - We’ve got swirled and mud-colored crumbs all over our our child’s play area, but (again) she loves creating with it.
• Water - Splashing in the bathtub bubbles, playing in the sink, or even jumping in the puddles on the sidewalk, it doesn’t matter. Kids love getting wet and making messes.
• Arts & Crafts - Yeah, I’ve been questioned at work about stray glitter on my face, but kids love crafts. A little glue, tape, colored paper, glitter, cotton balls, Popsicle sticks, etc… and you’re there.
Once the mess has been made, make sure you get your child to assist with the clean up. Sing a song about picking up or make a game of it. Preparation (however) can go a long way to making cleanup easier. Use a plastic table cloth when you are painting or just keeping the really messy stuff outside and a quick change of clothes, a few broom sweeps, or a spray with the hose may be all you need to make quick work of the cleanup.
Just remember that messes are fun and fun is good.
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Tags: playtime
Category: Activities, Family Fun
Andrew Play Tent
Posted by Eric on August 2, 2007
When we were kids we built tents out of blankets and chairs. Those makeshift tents of yesteryear just don’t compare to the Andrew play tent from Simply A Boy. The sturdy frame is made of solid pine and the cover comes in assorted colors to make a tent that is 5 feet square by 5 feet tall when open. It also looks a little like a teepee. How cool is that?
