‘The messier, the better’ – Kate enjoys making imaginary cakes with children

The Princess of Wales joked the “messier it is, the better the fun” when she joined children playing with clouds of flour at a centre supporting families.

Kate crouched down to help the youngsters making imaginary cakes with plasticine and flour, and chatted to mothers about her young royals at Windsor.

The future Queen visited Home-Start Oxford to learn about the organisation’s work supporting parents juggling work, finances and creating a loving home for their children.

The princess spoke to sisters Mariam Namakula, 30, and Sumayya Nabatanzi, 28, from Oxford, as their combined five children ran around having fun.

When one of the children injected Kate with a toy syringe, the princess was left with flour on the jacket of her trouser suit and she asked another child “what are you making, are you making a cake? Delicious”.

Ms Namakula said afterwards: “She was enjoying herself with the kids and said ‘the messier it is, the better the fun’.

“Kate was saying Charlotte enjoys the outdoors and doing activities, and making things and how her kids are growing up fast.

“She said George is 12 years old and would soon be starting secondary school.”

Kate, who wore a Victoria Beckham suit, marked the visit by personally posting on social media after she left.

She said on X: “Attention is the most basic form of love. In our increasingly distracted world, it has never been more important to hold on to what truly connects us – to ourselves, to one another, and to the world around us.

“Thank you to Home-Start and the Rose Hill Community Centre in Oxford for today and for all you do to nurture strong connections in the community. C”

Earlier, Kate published an essay highlighting the importance of creating a firm foundation for the lives of children by helping them develop “strong social and emotional skills”.

She also warned about the “epidemic of disconnection” created by smart phones and other gadgets, and urged society to “invest in the relationships you have with each other” in the piece written in collaboration with Professor Robert Waldinger, director of The Harvard Study of Adult Development.

Single mum-of-two Jasmin Ramdeen, 34, was part of a small group who sat down with Kate and discussed how Home-Start Oxford had helped them in their parenting and life generally.

Ms Ramdeen described the holistic support she received from Home-Start, from the visits to its centre in Oxford with her children to the one-to-one volunteer assistance provided over the past two years.

The 34-year-old said afterwards: “She’s invaluable my volunteer lady Kylie, she’s almost become like family, she’s amazing. In terms of my mental health, talking to me about how I’m feeling – they cover everything.

“It’s extremely overwhelming at times to do the mundane tasks but she gives me financial assistance, any debt relief, any problems with my benefits my housing she helps me with, it can be anything.

“They’ve basically become my village.”

Home-Start is a national network of 175 local charities providing free support for families in homes and communities across the UK and last year it supported 60,000 families.

It is part of a group of more than 27 organisations using animated films, from Kate’s Royal Foundation Centre for early Childhood, aimed at helping those working with families and carers explain the vital importance of social and emotional development.

During the visit to the Rose Hill Community Centre Kate chatted to Home-Start volunteers who had been watching the films and asked “what’s the biggest challenges…your families face?” before suggesting it might be “carving out time” during busy lives.

Kate said in her article published earlier: “While digital devices promise to keep us connected, they frequently do the opposite. Our smartphones, tablets and computers have become sources of constant distraction, fragmenting our focus and preventing us from giving others the undivided attention that relationships require.

“We sit together in the same room while our minds are scattered across dozens of apps, notifications and feeds. We’re physically present but mentally absent, unable to fully engage with the people right in front of us.”

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “Today, The Princess had the opportunity see a space that brings people from across the local community to connect and come together. She also had the opportunity to see the work Home Start is doing to support the foundations for a healthy, happy society.”