Playcentre Messy Play Week is a free event for families with pre-school age babies and children being held from Monday 21 August to Friday 25 August at Playcentres across Aotearoa.

Playcentre Messy Play Week is a chance for families with pre-school age babies and children to visit their local Playcentre to explore messy play activities that spark creativity and unlock learning.

As Nathan Wallis, neuroscience educator says, “Through messy play, children get to be little scientists, encountering problems and working out solutions, which is the foundation of creativity and innovation.”

Playcentre Messy Play Week is a chance to have fun with your child and to be involved in supporting them to learn through play, without the mess at home.

There will be a variety of messy play activities offered, such as painting, playdough, sand, clay, slime, gloop and more.

According to Playcentre Aotearoa Chief Executive David Moger messy play is important for children’s brain development and learning.

“Messy Play has many benefits for children. It stimulates creativity, promotes physical development, encourages social skills, provides new experiences, and allows for exploration and experimentation. But, most importantly it is great fun,” says Moger.

To get involved in Messy Play Week, make a booking to visit your local Playcentre and join in the fun. With over 400 Playcentres throughout New Zealand there is one near you.

You can find your local Playcentre at www.playcentre.org.nz