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A couple of weeks ago I was gifted a free term at Little Learners in Milton Keynes. Little Learners is a Messy Play class for babies to Preschoolers. It was created by a qualified primary school teacher and they now have over 30 locations across the UK.
I took Hudson to the Little Learners class as I felt he would get the most benefit out of it however at 4, Flinn is still in the age range.
What happened in the class…
When we arrived we were shown into a room that had music playing and the floor was covered in a giant sheet of plastic. On top of the plastic were lots of activities to suit the various ages of the children. There were 2 tuff trays, one filled with cereal and some brushes, bowls and toy cars, the other with a yellow cornflour paste and some spatulas. Also on the mat were some paper plates with some non-toxic paint and some rollers, some blackboards with chalk, some Playdoh and a small tray with some orange sand. For the preschoolers, there were some pegs, letter writing practice and bristle blocks.
At the start of the class, we were told what our children would gain from the experience. It was explained to us what “Mark Making” is and how it helps with the child’s development.
From there the children were able to explore and play however they liked. At first, I felt that Hudson was a little overwhelmed with the whole room as he had never experienced anything like that before. However, it didn’t take long for him to settle in and get stuck into the activities. He had a go at most things but didn’t seem keen on getting too messy!!
Is that because I spend all day complaining about mess and cleaning him up?
After watching the other children getting stuck in he started to get his hands a bit dirty. He enjoyed the tuff tray containing the cereal and also wiping paint on me! There were some sensory ribbons lying around from when we had sung a song at the start of the class and he enjoyed waving them around.
During the class you are welcome to take your own photos of your child however Coby, our Little Learners leader also took some photos which she then shared on Google Drive. Along with the photos were also some great resources about the class and how you can make the most of the children’s experiences and learning at home.
If you like this post then check out: How To Make Your Own Baby Sensory Hoop
At the end of the class, some big buckets were bought in to put all the dirty toys in as well as some smaller buckets to help clean up the kids. Everyone was encouraged to help tidy up and once done the children all got a sticker.
Verdict…
The Little Learners class lasted 45 minutes and it went really fast. It is strongly recommended that the kids wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting paint on and also to take a spare change of clothes and some wipes. Unlike all the other parents I found myself more covered in the paint than Hudson was so a change of clothes would have been helpful for me!
Little Learners cost around £6.50 per class but you book and pay by the term, each term varies in length. You can book a class here. Although a little apprehensive at first Hudson really loved the experience and by the end of the class didn’t want to leave. I also really enjoyed myself and felt great that I had given Hudson the opportunity to have such a fun and educational morning.
To check out some more photos from our Little Learners class head on over to my Instagram feed (and maybe follow me as well 😉 )
Have you been to a Little Learners class? What did you and your little one think?
