Saturday will be a Messy Morning

It's going to be a Messy Morning at the Show Me Center for about 3,000 children and their families Saturday.

Doors open at 10 a.m., and the eighth annual event runs through 1 p.m., coordinator Janice Jones said. Admission is free, but those attending are encouraged to bring canned foods for the Southeast Missouri Food Bank.

Helping celebrate the Week of the Young Child, Messy Morning encourages children to get messy and learn at the same time. It also features inexpensive activities parents can do with their children at home.

"A lot of families and young children look forward to it and wonder when it's going to be," Jones said.

About 27 businesses and child care programs will be on hand, along with a firetruck from the Cape Girardeau Fire Department and the DARE car from the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

One of the most popular activities, sponsored by Southeast Health, is the Mud Run, which starts at 12:30 p.m. and involves children crawling through shaving cream.

"We encourage parents to bring a change of clothes," Jones said.

New participants are Bob Evans restaurant, which will offer cookie decoration, and Smoothie King, which will give children a chance to make Play-Doh.

Southeast Health's obstetrics-gynecology department will offer handprints and footprints created with paint.

On a more serious note, Missouri Child Identification Program will be on the Show Me Center concourse level taking fingerprints, DNA swabs, dental impressions and photos of children. MoCHIP stands for Missouri Child Identification and Protection Program and is designed to help prevent the ever-increasing problem of missing and abducted children, the program's website says. The program uses a computer disk to provide information to parents, and the website says no microchips are used.

Face-painting returns this year, along with the Southeast Missouri State Steel Drum Band. The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center will let children wrap and bag plant seedlings to plant at home, and Tracker from the Southeast Missourian will be on hand.

"There will be lots of activities for children to do that are fun and educational," Jones said.

Nine people are on the Messy Morning committee and about 30 volunteers, many from Southeast Missouri State University.

Jones said organizers start thinking about Messy Morning in the fall.

"It's a lot of work, but everybody, I think, really enjoys it," she said, adding it generates positive feedback.

The main sponsors are Success By 6, United Way of Southeast Missouri, Southeast Missouri State, Community Caring Council, Southeast Health, Tender Hearts Child Therapy Center, Bank of Missouri, Southeast Missourian, Cape Noon Optimist Club, GRACES and the Southeast Steel Drum Band.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address: 1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO