Johannesburg - Educational experts believe that playing with slime has a surprising array of benefits for children’s development.
This includes sensory stimulation, fine motor development, creativity and imagination.
In addition, slime can stimulate learning and encourage curiosity in young children when used either for fun at home or in a classroom environment.
This was the sentiment behind Reddam House Helderfontein’s Early Learning School who this month hosted a sensory play activity in partnership with Elmer’s, an American-based company that has a line of adhesive, craft, home repair, and office supply products.
The thought behind this was to introduce children to the joy and educational value of playing with slime. The event, which was attended by 947’s Anele Mdoda and her son Alakhe, a pupil at the school, was a fun-filled morning where children explored and experimented with this squishy and stretchy material.
Nicola Crooks, head of Reddam House Helderfontein’s Early Learning School, explained that the school encourages messy play and a spirit of curiosity and experimentation in children. “We believe that children learn best through hands-on experiences, and messy play is an excellent way for them to explore the world around them,” she said.
“We were thrilled to partner with Elmer’s to offer this fun and creative morning to our community.”
Elmer’s has developed several educational activities that use slime as a tool for learning, including experiments with gravity, fractions, volcanoes, a colour wheel, and cleaning up the ocean. These experiments are incorporated into the sensory play events, which take place at the Reddam House Helderfontein Preparatory School.
Here are some surprising benefits of children playing with slime:
Sensory stimulation: Slime can provide a unique sensory experience for children as they explore the texture, colour, and consistency of the material.
Fine motor development: Manipulating slime can help children strengthen their fine motor skills, such as pinching, squeezing, and stretching.
Creativity and imagination: Slime can inspire creativity and imaginative play as children can mould it into various shapes, creatures, and objects.