Hagen and I participated in Messy Mates for pre-preschoolers last week at the Cottesloe Civic Centre. I was excited to get messy with my little mate, and not have to worry about the mess! It was a special time set aside for me and him to just play and create. He absolutely loved the idea of me staying with him the entire time, participating in all the crafts. I have to admit, I loved that everything was all planned out for us, and I felt like a kid myself... gluing, painting, coloring, shaping playdough, sticking stickers, and sprinkling glitter everywhere! 
A cup of tea or coffee with a cookie for mom was a super nice treat.
There were several tables set up with different crafts and activities. 
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| Playdough |
Mini cupcake decorating with sticky frosting and bits of candies.
Painting with brushes and sponges. Perfect for little hands!
Gotta love the mess!
Hagen is not usually interested in participating in craft time at home or while at playgroup, so I was thrilled to see him getting into it! I think it had something to do with the variety of the activities, and the fact that he was able to choose what he wanted to do.
The cupcake decorating may have been his favorite!
This lovely little mate had glitter all over her hands, it was a beautiful!
A bin of toys kept the less crafty mates busy while the others finished up. 
Our session ended with a story read aloud, and a few fun interactive songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider", and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".
Our creations had time to dry a little bit before bringing them home. It was an hour well spent, and we both left happy with our arms full of decorations to be proud of!
