When the UK was thrust into lockdown earlier this year, many business were forced into immediate closure, with no idea when they’d be able to re-open. One such business was children’s creative free-play group, Messy Monkeys.

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After a couple of months with no sessions whatsoever, Amanda Belt - who runs the Harrogate and Craven franchise - set about seeing how she could get things up and running again, whilst remaining Covid safe. She began by designing and creating Messy Play gifts for home play, an soon, a new age of Messy Monkeys was born. As has been the case has been for lots of us, online video chat company, Zoom came to the rescue and Amanda began to host online sessions. For these, Amanda developed individual Messy Play Kits, which are hand delivered to your doorstep and packed with everything your little one will need for each session. In an effort to keep the mess in your house to a minimum, deep trays are provided. 

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Lasting approximately one hour, the online sessions consist of 5-6 children and their parents on the secure video call, along with session leaders, Amanda and Hazel. Broken down in to sections, each session includes crafts, sensory play and messy time, before ending with a story. The sessions are recorded and subsequently uploaded to the private Facebook group, so if you’re unable to make a particular time, your little one can still enjoy the fun later on. Sustainability has always been a focal point for the Messy Monkeys team, so in an effort to remain as environmentally friendly as possible, Amanda has used recycled and donated products for all the packaging, and is more than happy to take it back for re-use. Enjoyed by existing customers and new faces, these online sessions have proven extremely popular and are set to continue for the foreseeable future. 

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That said, as the world begins to teeter on the edge of normality once again, Messy Monkeys Harrogate and Craven are looking to restart sessions in their Carleton venue. These will, of course, be Covid secure, with limited numbers and each parent and child seated in their own ‘play zone’. As time goes on, more venues may be added. Keep an eye on the website or Facebook page for further updates on this. 

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Thanks to her new Facebook shop, a great variety of Messy Play Kits can be purchased online. Keep your eyes peeled for new, festive themed kits – perfect Christmas gifts for ages 6 months – 4 years.

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To book your online sessions, visit www.messy-monkeys.com/harrogate-craven  

For further information, email amanda@messy-monkeys.com

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Messy Monkeys

www.messy-monkeys.com/harrogate-craven

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