Mess is Good
Posted by MissPriss on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Filed under: activities, clean up, experiments, mess, preschoolers, school age, toddlers
I know, controversial. But what does it mean to be a
kid? It means that you are growing in both body and mind. Exploration is a
fantastic way to get kids involved with their environment that will teach them
new things.
Why do I think making messes should be allowed?
Simple answer: kids are messy. When they are truly intrigued with something new
or fun, they are not going to be thinking about how far they are flinging their
mess. As they grow older, this should change. You should be able to tell them
not to get water on the floor or clay stuck to the ceiling and they listen, but
when they’re young, those warnings are almost hopeless.
I also believe that it uncaps creativity. If there
are no rules or limitations, that means anything goes. It gives the children an
opportunity to test their limits with whatever they are playing and innovate
new ways to play with it.
One time I let my charges play with Play dough in a
bucket on the table. There were spoons, toys, cups, and who knows what else in
there that they were exploring with. I go to the bathroom real quick and when I
came back, the bucket was half filled with water. I told them that it was okay
this time, but next time ask first. They had a blast, just like the water was
blasting from the bucket onto the table. I laid out 2 towels, and still no
luck. I eventually called off the hounds for lunch and we cleaned up what we
could. It took the rest of the afternoon of constant drying to get that table
completely dry again. It was ridiculous.
That’s when I learned that all messes should have a
designated area. I usually have anything that is going to make a mess be done
in the bathtub if it cannot be done outside. Kind of random, I know, and it
takes a bit of effort to make sure holes are covered and reiterate to the
children not to turn on the water (unless that’s what you’re playing with), but
it sure does make for easy clean up. Other areas I let them make messes? The
kitchen is perfect for Play dough and clay and the garage is a good place for
many things if there is no furniture around.
When all is said and done, I tell the kids that
since they made the mess, they have to clean it up. I also say, since I allowed
them to make such a mess, I will help them clean it up (I have to be fair,
after all!)
So what are your thoughts on the subject? I have
seen views to both sides in other blog posts so I’m interested in what you have
to say.
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