It's not everyday babies get to play in a paddling pool full of baked beans.

And that's probably for the best given how long it took to clean up afterwards.

But it was all for a worthy cause.

Young members of the Little Monkeys group, based at Woodbank Community Centre, in Offerton, raised more than £300 for charity Jump Space with their baked bean fun.

Mum Laura Carson, 27, who runs the group, bought 60 tins and emptied them into a large paddling pool.

Tots, including Archie Bowden and Elijah James Lownds, who at three months was the youngest, were then invited to get in for the Beany Babies event, which proved to have mixed results.

Laura, from Offerton, said: “I don’t quite know where the idea came from, not all the group can walk and everyone does a sponsored toddle.

“We have done sensory stuff with beans before but on a smaller scale and the children really liked it. Some didn’t quite enjoy it as much.

“One baby, called Archie, loved it. He was happily playing in the beans and trying to eat them and stayed in for a good 15 minutes.

Archie Bowden in the baked bean bath

“But quite a few didn’t stay in long and started screaming and clawing to get out. We got them out but couldn’t stop laughing.”

The group has regularly visited Jump Space, based on Hardman Street, central Stockport , for its Friday morning toddler group so wanted to do something in return.

Laura, who is returning to work in accounts, has now stopped running Little Monkeys and this was her final event.

But it is now hoped someone else will take up the mantle after her unforgettable exit, which nine babies aged three to 14 months took part in.

She said: “There was a lot of mess and we didn’t think about getting them out, which made even more mess.

“There was beans everywhere and some dried ones, it took a long time to clear up and it was absolutely disgusting, the place stank.

“The babies were covered in sauce and we gave them a bath in the kitchen.”

Jump Space is a rebound therapy centre that uses trampolines to help improve children’s movement and co-ordination as well as running community sessions.

Send us your pictures of your children enjoying messy play to @MENnewsdesk or email emma.gill@men-news.co.uk.