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Messy Play with Gloop

Messy play is such a hands-on learning experience. When children explore messy or sensory play, they are developing many different skills. In particular, they are using their hand- eye co-ordination, and at the same time participating in a calming experience. If messy/sensory play is set up for a group of children, they can interact with one another and observe new ideas and ways of engaging with the play that they may not have thought of.

As adults we can get involved with the experience too; this shows children that it is okay to explore the messy play as they feel comfortable to do so. Consider dressing children in clothes that enables them to fully explore messy play without restriction. Adults can introduce a range of vocabulary to the experience, using descriptive words like cold, soft, warm, sticky, slimy, wet, runny. Often the clean-up is just as fun as the initial experience!

Here’s a great messy/sensory experience with items you can find around the home. All you need is a few ice cream containers or bowls and adding different household equipment works well too, such as spoons and cups.

Making gloop -

Slowly add 1 cup of water to 2 cups of cornflour.

Stir until the water is absorbed by the cornflour, add colour, and enjoy.

Children can mix the colours and make patterns.

These experiences reflect the Te Whāriki Strand of Exploration (Mana aotūroa), as children gain confidence and control of their bodies, and actively exploring to use all of their senses.