London - Cleaning up the havoc created by a toddler is a task faced by most parents several times a day.
But it could be good news in the long run as messy children are more likely to be better learners.
Youngsters who grab, feel, taste and throw objects – especially food – are constantly gathering information, said scientists.
Psychologists tested dozens of 16-month-olds by giving them items and seeing if they could learn their made-up names.
They found those who were more messy were better at learning and recalling the words.
Researcher Dr Larissa Samuelson said: “It may look like your child is playing in the high chair, throwing things on the ground but they are getting information out of those actions. They can use that information later.”
Each of the 72 children was given 14 non-solid objects, including jam, cheese, butterscotch, chocolate sauce and oatmeal.
The toddlers were told the name of each item, a simple made-up word such as “dax” or “kiv”. A minute later, they were given the same objects in a different shape and asked to identify them.
The children who used more “messy actions” such as grasping, accurately named about 70 percent of the items. Those who used “non-messy actions”, like poking with a finger, correctly named about 50 percent.
The report in the journal Developmental Science added that toddlers in highchairs performed better than those at tables, indicating that the act of eating is associated with learning. - Daily Mail