- Mud - Angela Krueger
There are a few weeks every spring when despite the warmer weather, the winter thaw makes it difficult for kids to play outside. This is especially true of locations that have snow in the winter months and the first sign of spring is MUD! Viewed as an opportunity for learning and having fun, this transition of the seasons can be a very interesting time for preschoolers to play outside.
Create Mud Drawings
Using sticks, shovels, rakes or even their fingers, have the kids draw pictures on a smooth mud area. Write a short message at the side of a walking trail, draw a stick person at the entrance of the park or make a collaborative picture in the wet sand at the playground. Bring an old towel on the excursion to wash the dirt off little hands.
Make Mud Sculptures
Give the kids permission to get down and dirty. Let them take off their mitts and push up their coat sleeves and play with shovels, trucks, balls, buckets and sticks in the mud. Suggest a project such as building a bridge for the trucks or creating a bird nest out of sticks, dryer lint and mud. Leave the sculptures to dry up and play with them another day when the structures will be stronger.
Look at Mud
Take a magnifying glass outside and let the kids see what mud contains. Look for bubbles, floating sticks and insects. Check out the difference between the mud that is under the eaves trough downspout and the mud that is under the big rock in the garden.
Experiment with Mud
Do various experiments with mud, simply to see what happens.
- Put mud inside different sized plastic pails and metal pots to see which container holds more.
- Find surfaces that mud will stick to.
- Discover which toys float on the mucky water and which ones are heavy enough to sink into the mud.
- Watch what happens when you add water to dried up mud.
Look for Animal Tracks
While on a walk in the woods, show kids how to spot spring animal tracks and guess which animals they belong to. Ask the kids to make their own tracks in the mud using their footprints, sticks or their fingers. Let them look at the tracks with a magnifying glass.
Albeit messy, playing in the mud offers plenty of learning opportunities and kids love the unique play experience. Have a garden hose at the ready and let the kids explore the magic of mud this spring.
Related Articles:
Exploring Sand with Preschoolers
Exploring Snow with Preschoolers
Exploring Water with Preschoolers
Angela Krueger - As an adoptive parent and PRIDE adoption trainer, Angela uses her insights to help others on their adoption journey.
