The Importance of PlayThe importance of play has been well-documented. Play is the work of the child. As a child grows and develops, the child’s play develops along with him/her. Through play, children are able to put into action the concepts and ideas which are being presented to them in a way which is relevant to their understanding and developmental needs. Play encourages intellectual learning, which includes predicting, hypothesizing, reasoning, theorizing, etc. Learning through play occurs in a carefully prepared environment, where the teacher follows the child’s lead to plan meaningful experiences. The environment invites young children to explore, investigate, question, examine, predict, use trial and error, and manipulate while creating in-depth, concrete and long-term learning. Messy play provides children the opportunity to participate in a range of sensory experiences. Children are able to experiment with different textures and materials by exploring solutions such as fingerpaint, gloop, slime, water, dirt and mud. Messy play helps children to express themselves, experiment with materials, develop hand-eye coordination, relax and just have fun. Our families are encouraged to dress their children for messy play every day.