Go Ahead Get Messy

For just a moment, forget about the mess and the cleaning up. These activities are not just fun, but also have a host of hidden benefits you may not have even thought of. So, this Children’s Day, just let your little one unleash her wild side.

- Geetika Sasan Bhandari

JUMPING IN puddles, painting on the wall, blowing soap bubbles in the air... that’s what happy childhood memories are made of. It’s how children experience and absorb the world around them. But neuroscience suggests these experiences do much more for the child’s brain than just providing joy. A child’s brain forms synapses or connections every time she has a new experience. So while “Genes provide a blueprint for the brain, a child’s environment and experiences carry out the construction,” says an article Baby’s Brain Begins Now: Conception to Age 3, in urbanchildinstitute.org.

But messy activities are, well, messy, and it’s a pain to clean up. We get that! “I find parents to be resistant to allowing children a free hand at exploring messy materials at home. They should set aside these apprehensions and create a messy corner. Free exploration allows immense learning,” says Jaya Modi, Director, Gymboree Play and Music, an international activity centre for kids in Delhi.

Montessori-trained teacher Kavneet Chadha from Bengaluru explains the parental perspective. “The tussle often happens because children tend to be process oriented (want to understand the work) whereas adults are result oriented (the work needs to get done).” This is why, to a child, Play-Doh means a sensory delight, but to a parent it means little gooey bits stuck to carpets. But “all these activities have cognitive, emotional and sensory benefits. They aid in hand-eye coordination, leading to development of the mind,” she adds.

So go ahead, let your child indulge in these 16 messy but super fun activities. The benefits will last a lifetime.