This Easter could get a little messy … and that’s if you’re lucky!

We dyed Easter eggs a little differently this year. The results were spectacular – the eggs were pretty and my children got to experience “messy play.”

These days, parents often discourage their children from making a mess. It’s a good thing to do if everybody’s dressed for church … but “messy play” is important for sensory development.

Children need to experience different textures with their hands. It’s one of the first ways children have to learn how to adapt to different, diverse environments.

That’s right – making a mess helps your child’s sensory system get used to the various experiences they’ll have in life.

It’s easier said than done. Our children are growing up in a world where we’re not outside as much, so we have to make an effort for kids to be messy.

We work with children who are “sensory avoidant.” These are children who are overwhelmed by sensory experiences that are second nature to the rest of us.

They might not like bright lights, being hugged or kissed, or loud noises. They may refuse to wear scratchy or tight clothing, or they can be picky eaters.

Don’t panic, though … just because your child doesn’t like broccoli doesn’t make him or her sensory avoidant. In fact, only about 10 percent of children suffer from this.

But every child benefits from being exposed to varied sensory experiences. That’s why we have bins at the office which contain different materials, like rice, beans or squishy balls.

The rice one is hard for me, personally. I cannot stand putting my hand in a bin of rice!

The best part of exposing your child to messy play … it’s fun. Really fun … like dying these Easter eggs.

I hard-boiled eggs and then let them soak in vinegar for 30 minutes. Then, I filled a baking pan with shaving cream.

After I put MC in some protective clothing, I gave her tubes of food dye and let her squeeze them into the shaving cream.

She used her fingers to stir the dye in a little bit. Then she began rolling the eggs around in the mix.

It was a mess! She loved every minute of it!

Let your child make a mess, and they will love it, too … and they’ll learn an important lesson.