Let's get messy!
/As much as it can be hard for parents to let their kids get messy (believe me, I watch mine through gritted teeth!), it is a really important step in terms of helping them develop well functioning sensory systems and good eating habits not to mention good fine motor skills. So cover the floors, invest in a few good bibs, change out of your best clothes and get involved!
Practise drawing pre-writing patterns and shapes with your index finger to develop early writing skills, make faces to help develop body scheme or find hidden objects (with eyes open and closed) to help develop tactile discrimination. The benefits are endless.
For those kids who are more wary of getting messy, start with dry textures such as dried pasta, sand or flour and gradually add water to one section - this encourages them to touch and feel the wet while still having the safe dry stuff to revert back to. Try dry materials that have a liquid-like quality such as couscous or polystyrene balls. Kinetic sand is also brilliant.
For those fussy eaters, messy food play can be a great way of letting them explore new foods and textures in a fun way without the pressure of necessarily eating it. We use a lot of messy food play activities in our joint therapy sessions for these types of children. For more information or advice, please contact us.
