Get messy in the park with the Katherine Isolated Children's Service

The Katherine Isolated Children's Service is known best for ensuring children living in the most remote parts of the Northern Territory have access to play-based learning, touted to be vital in a child's first 1000 days.

But in 2017, Playgroup in the Park was developed for young people in Katherine - to fill a void in the once bare school holidays and provide a space for kids to get messy.

KICS has been in the business of running playgroups for 30 years, so it was no big leap to run the first Katherine event in January of 2018, coordinator of the organisation Mandy Tootell said.

"We had a lot of parents asking for a wet and messy afternoon because it takes a lot to set up and clean up," Mrs Tootell said at the time the winning announcement was made.

"With each event we were getting about 200 kids plus their parents and the aim was to really establish and maintain family relationships as well as build relationships between families, carers and service providers," Ms Tootell said.

Months of planning on top of usual business is involved in getting the events off the ground.

The activities motivate children to get involved without the help from parents.

"We wanted to make them enticing for a range of children, for instance there was dry rice for kids who don't like getting messy, and pipes for water measurement formed a physics activity," Mrs Tootell said of past playgroups.

"There was enough to keep the children engaged in small groups while stimulating their senses."

Painting, building and getting messy with slime are just some of the highlights young children can look forward next Monday.

Held at the Low Level Nature Reserve from 9am until 11.30am on Monday, September 30, the event is geared towards children up to 10-years-old.

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