At pre-school we get messy, very messy!  

There is a lot of research to show the importance of messy and sensory play for children's development.  As adults we sometimes find it harder to accept things getting messy, like a nice, new pre-school uniform.  At Pinewood Family Group Pre-school we are quite the opposite.  We love making mess and the positive benefits to children's learning.  Messy play focuses on children exploring and experimenting.  It often has no end goal, but allows children to use all of their senses and go wherever their imagination or creativity will take them.  

Playing in a Mud Kitchen or sharing an easel can be a very sociable activity, although doesn't have to rely on the use of language.  Even through gesture, or playing alongside one another, children can share in each others' discoveries.  By engaging in messy or sensory play, children can experience new textures or sensations, explore the use of different tools, take risks, learn new words to describe their play or even build their confidence to try new things.  There are a whole host of reasons for us to embrace messy and sensory play in the pre-school, and is the reason why we will never be precious about children's uniforms.  So, if you still can't get out that grass or paint stain no matter how many times the jumper has been washed, please don't worry, it means that your child has been learning and having fun.