Getting clean and getting dirty are both great activities for kindergarten readiness and fun, but it’s better to get dirty first. A favorite spring activity–for the kids–is playing in mud. When kids play with mud they are having fun and practicing many learning skills like creating, measuring, planning, problem-solving, discovering and more. The small muscles in their arms, hands, and fingers get lots of exercising as they stir, pour, mix, and pat. As they kids talk, they are using and exploring language, too. This video below shows the concentration and engagement of a little girl as she makes a mud pie.
Today, the weather here was another of those all season days: warm when the sun was out and darn cold in the wind. Instead of playing outside with mud, we used some playdough inside. While the sensory experience isn’t quite the same, the learning skills are. A distinct advantage is kids don’t get so dirty! But there’s no wonderful mud art on the sidewalk and driveway waiting to be enjoyed until it rains.
Recently, the Mudworks Lady was a guest on Learn and Play with Mrs. A. Mary Ann F. Kohl is the author of the book Mudworks that includes 31 recipes for clay and dough. Some are even edible! For people and dogs. These would be fun recipes to try with little ones. Can your child have some mud fun and learning, inside or outside, today?