Messy Play in the Sunshine
With the return of warmer weather, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the value of messy play. At Playcentre, this type of play is often more inviting to set up and engage with outdoors in the summer months — and it brings with it rich opportunities for learning.
While we often think of messy play as primarily a sensory experience, it encompasses much more. Experimenting with textures, mixtures, and transformations is a form of exploratory play, and it naturally supports Te Whāriki’s strand of Exploration | Mana Aotūroa — and often links with Communication | Mana Reo as tamariki share ideas and describe their discoveries. Messy play allows tamariki to wonder, test, and make sense of the world around them, while also opening the door to early science concepts such as cause and effect, states of matter, and change over time.
A previously published Playcentre Journal article highlights these values, along with some questions for kaiako to consider while working with tamariki. Thoughtful open-ended questions deepen the experience, inviting tamariki to share their ideas and extend their thinking. These prompts can be turned into wonderful pondering questions. I wonder — what other questions might you come up with to spark curiosity and learning during messy play.
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If you have any PLD questions, please contact
Karina Hart | Professional Learning and Development Lead | Kaiārahi Ako Ngaiotanga
Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa | Playcentre Aotearoa
027 880 5378|