AD – Gifted session
I received a free session in return for a review
My 2-year-old loves creative play – the more she can use her imagination, the better! One of her favourite things to play with at home is our playdough set, with different pieces to explore different textures and let her imagination run. This week we went to a Mucky Ducks messy play session, where the whole idea is to explore, and I was very excited to take Ivy along!
Mucky Ducks has a modern take on traditional messy play sessions, combined with small world play, in a child-led session. All of the messy play is made out of safe to eat food, so you don’t need to worry about what your child plays with, or puts in their mouths. Even better, all the food is sugar, nut, egg, soy and dairy-free – meaning if your child has allergies, they can still join in and play. Each session has a different theme, with 9 different worlds to explore made from ingredients, so you won’t find you’re playing with the same thing over and over again.
Photos courtesy of Mucky Ducks Messy Play
Child-led play is quickly becoming my favourite thing for Ivy – as the kid really hates having to follow rules, so being able to do her own thing on her terms is great for us. But something I have never tried with her, is messy play, mostly because – well it’s messy and I don’t want to have to be the one who cleans it up. So a huge plus of bringing Ivy here is that she can make as much mess as she wants, and when we’re finished, we can just go home and it’s not my problem!
The week we visited was magical lands themed – so we had everything from unicorns, to pirate ships, to dragons, enchanted forests and potion making! The tuff trays are laid out in the middle of the room as you enter, and once you’ve signed in and got ready to play, you’re free to explore!
As Ivy’s never done messy play before she was a little unsure to start with, but she found the pirate ship and was quite happy to play with that in the water and splash around. After a while of playing with the ship and eventually exploring the hummus sand, she moved onto another tray with green couscous in and dived straight into sitting in it and playing. We also loved playing in the water stations, especially with the ducks! Ivy got absolutely soaked splashing everywhere, and having a great time. Some of the trays looked amazing, and there was even jelly on one of them!
Ivy had a great time playing with everything, and come the end of the session didn’t want to stop, and had a few tears about leaving! The one thing I was disappointed in was that Ivy didn’t eat anything! Everything is edible (and sugar, nut, egg, dairy and soya free!) so that your children can explore the different tastes.
I was amazed at all the creativity that goes into these sessions, there’s so much imagination behind it, and they change each week! I also really love that the food is inclusive for everyone, so you can bring your child here if they have allergies and know that they are safe to play and get involved. I did feel like the younger babies there were getting more out of the session than my 2-year-old, as they were crawling through food and tasting things – but again this is likely down to the fact Ivy’s not tried messy play before, and after a few more sessions seeing how others play she’d be likely to copy.
How to Find it
Mucky Ducks Messy Play has sessions in various locations. You can find these and the directions on the map below.
When I visited I went to the Stony Stratford sessions, just to give you an idea of how the hall looks from my review!
Good to Know
- Sessions cost £6.50 for one adult and one child
- Mucky Ducks messy play sessions last 45 minutes
- Sessions are for ages 6 months, or younger if able to sit unaided, up to 6 year olds
- Each week has a different theme, and you can pick and choose which sessions you would like to attend
- During the session it’s up to you what your little one wears – they will need to remove their shoes, but the rest is up to you! I took Ivy’s socks off so she could stand in things, others were in vests, others were dressed. It’s up to you!
- Everything is edible – and sugar, nut, egg, dairy and soya free! So great if you have a child with allergies
- There are also ‘specials’ sessions during school holidays, which are suited for children aged 2-6 years as not all ingredients and materials are taste safe, so keep an eye out for those!
- At the end of the session you’re free to clean up your own mucky ducks at the side of the hall before heading home. Make sure you bring a towel, lots of baby wipes, spare clothes for your little one, and some spare socks for you – you’re likely to get soggy feet following your kids around!
