The owner of a leading South West day nursery and pre-school chain is speaking out in support of messy play for children as a vital way to boost their self-confidence and indulge their curiosity in the world around them.

Tony Driffield, who started the family-run Mama Bear’s Day Nurseries with wife Bev in 2004, said: “A child’s urge to experiment and discover new things reflects their constant natural drive to learn and offering them messy play is a fantastic way to support their development.

“I’m definitely talking about them getting their hands dirty here – playing with mud, gloop, foam or paint for example. We have edible paint at Mama Bear’s because paint does have a habit of getting everywhere.

“It’s the combination of a fulfilling hands-on sensory experience with the increased confidence which comes from seizing responsibility for directing their own activities that makes messy play so great.

“It gives children the freedom to investigate independently and if they need any encouragement, we’ll ask a question like: What happens if you mix it/shake it/squeeze it?  Or what happens if you add some water?”

Research into the early years sector shows that messy play offers special benefits for children with visual impairments, for whom sense of touch is especially important, and also for children with autism who often really enjoy these sensory activities.

Tony Driffield said: “Investigating cause and effect during messy play is fantastic for helping children to build their concentration and develop prediction skills.

“What’s more it can stimulate all their senses, encourage them to use their imagination and promote hand-to-eye co-ordination and development of their motor skills.

“Obviously we take sensible precautions by providing aprons or overalls and washing hands when we’ve finished, but we encourage our parents to send children into nursery wearing clothes they won’t mind them doing messy play in.

“The last thing we want is for our little ones to feel inhibited about properly joining in because they’re worried about what they’re wearing.

“Our messy play sessions might not end up with anything for the children to take home, but the experience is so rewarding and we’re always happy to share ideas with parents so they can also pursue favourite messy play sessions together at home.”

There are 24 day nurseries in the award-winning Mama Bear’s group. Known for its affordable and flexible childcare provision, Mama Bear’s aims to provide children with their first vital level of education to give them a head-start when they start at primary school.   

Further information about places for children and about career opportunities at Mama Bear’s are available at www.mamabear.co.uk