Messy day kicks a goal

More than 200 children turned out for the Shire of Manjimup’s annual Messy Play Day on Wednesday.

The aim of Messy Play Day is to give young children the opportunity to develop and refine cognitive, social, emotional, physical, creative and linguistic skill sets.

Activities held throughout the day at the Manjimup Heritage Park included tie dying, stone decoration, sago play, homemade noise makers, spaghetti worms, bag painting, bubble, playdough and soap slime play.

Messy play helps children enhance fine and gross motor skills, engages problem-solving abilities, stimulates a child’s five senses and assists in the development of hand-eye coordination.

Shire community development officer Sharon Wilkinson said one of the highlights was children’s laughter and seeing them involved and interacting with, their parents, step parents, grandparents and carers.

“One of the highlights for us as organisers is how lucky we are to have 20 organisations who have been consistently on board for the past four years and who make the morning a success each year with their enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment of the day,” she said.

Mrs Wilkinson also thanked LJ Hooker for donating the cost of the gum boots for children.

New additions to the Messy Play Day this year included two door prizes from Act-Belong-Commit and Nature Play.

“The first door prize was an Act-Belong-Commit family picnic back pack with picnic blanket, plates, cups and utensils so that families can get outdoors to have picnics and spend time together,” she said. “The second prize was a back pack from Nature Play and a finger puppet kit.”