Dress for a Mess: Looking Back on a Day of Discovery and Exploration

Our First Annual Dress For A Mess provided a plethora of play-based activities to stimulate the brain, help develop small and gross motor skills, and…get messy! Our Little iLEADers and children from our community participated in slime making, sensory tables, parachute games, exploration of art and music, catapult painting, engineering big blocks, discovering science through homemade ice cream, arts and crafts, and a HUGE MUD PIT! It was so much fun watching the children discover and explore.

Play-based learning allows children to explore, identify, negotiate, take risks, self-regulate and create meaning. When children are allowed to play, they use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Because we know the benefits of play, we wanted to share what we do on a daily basis, with our SCVi families and our community.

Research has proven that play is essential to healthy brain development and shapes the structural design of the brain. Children who engage in quality play experiences are more likely to have well-developed memory skills, language development and critical thinking skills, leading to enhanced school adjustment and academic learning.

Because problem-solving involves an element of risk, we want our learners to feel confident taking risks, make mistakes, and try again by providing a safe environment. We also understand the importance of introducing a variety of meaningful experiences so our learners know they will be valued, their efforts rewarded, and see themselves as lifelong learners.