Messy Play For Little Hands - Bright Little Sparks, Hawthorn

Bright Little Sparks is like a home away from home for many local families with little kids. The brainchild of Megan, a teacher and mother herself, Bright Little Sparks offers messy play and open studio sessions from their space in Hawthorn. But spend 5 minutes here and you can see that this place delivers beyond a play experience for kids.

Bright Little Sparks is a place where the grownups can connect, build their village and fill their cup while little ones engage in hands-on learning and play. This is one of those rare spaces where you can see that the adults are just as happy to be there as the kids.

This place is set up in zones - there’s a play studio, STEM studio and art studio (which includes an outdoor water play area as well)… all set up like the play room of a friend’s house your kids would beg to visit. And this is why Bright Little Sparks is different - Megan has created a space that is homely, comfortable and designed to welcome families with open arms.

They offer two programs - “All Sparks” (messy play) and “Open Studio”. Aimed for kids from 1 to 5, their 1 hour Messy Play sessions are facilitated by teachers and encourage little ones to explore and create through messy and sensory play-based learning.

With changing themes every week, kids will discover a different experience every time. And because we all know those little minds can wander and attention spans are short, children also have access to all of the play and learning zones during their messy play session.

Open studio sessions are open to all ages and allow kids to explore the space and engage in all the learning zones at their own pace and in their own time with roaming facilitators who don’t just hover but actually engage. For those times when you would ordinarily have a play date at home but you need a change of scenery or the idea of hosting and tidying feels like a bridge too far - Open Studio sessions are for you. Grab a coffee from the neighbouring cafe, meet your friends at Bright Little Sparks and enjoy a catch up while the kids play.

Sessions can fill up fast, especially when the weather is crumby so bookings are essential to avoid missing out!