Mud, Glorious Mud! Super Rad Activities for your Mud-Loving Littles
Anyone have a kid who loves getting messy and muddy? We have some awesome new muddy play ideas from the lovely Heidi at @the_harmony_tree_house! If you are looking for inspiring nature play and mudpie adventures, be sure to check out Heidi's Instagram account. Keep reading for some of Heidi's best muddy play ideas!
When I was a little girl, there was something about playing outside in the mud that just made my spirit soar. Wet, squishy, and oozy through my fingers, I could spend hours molding it: pat, pat, patting it with my finger tips into limitless shapes. Imagining it as a delicious feast, or a poisonous potion made by an evil witch...it was whatever I made it to be. Fast forward thirty-odd years, and guess what? Here I am, still playing in the mud. But this time I have two very keen mud-exploring littles of my own to join in on the fun. And that is where you will find us most days, learning in the mud.
What is that you say? There is only so much you can do in the mud? That is where you are wrong, my friend! I have bundled up our tried and tested favorites into a handy dandy guide. So what are we waiting for? Let's get MUDDY with our first four activity ideas!
1. Bug Splat
This game is not only awesome fun, but so good for coordination and can double up as a sneaky learning activity. Think along the lines of a muddy, buggy game of Twister. For example: put the swatter in your left hand and splat the yellow bee! Or, can you pick up the swatter with your toes? Or, let’s count and swat! Or put some watercolor paper or cardstock down and use the whole activity as a muddy, swatter print art session. The possibilities are as endless as your buggy imagination. Just grab a packet of plastic bugs, dunk them in some mud, pop them on a flat surface, and swat away!
2. Small World Adventures
I love a good small world, and so do my boys. Just grab a tub, fill it up with dirt and a few rocks and sticks, a bit of water, and voilà! You have a muddy wonderland. Add trees, animals, dinosaurs, diggers and dump trucks, whatever you wish. You could even use flowers or vegetables and make a little mini garden. Just whip one up and watch the imaginary play begin!
3. Making Tracks
My boys loved this one! Make a little mud puddle in a small tray, put some watercolor paper or cardstock down, and gather some toy animals or cars and make TRAX! My boys get super excited and carried away with this one every single time. It is certainly a crowd pleaser!
4. Frog Habitat
You need a wide pot full of soil with a little well dug out in the middle, and filled with water. We also added shells, sticks, rocks, and an assortment of goodies to work as a multi level platform for our little amphibian friends. The best kind of afternoon project for the family! You will be amazed at the creative conversations that come out of such a simple play set up. This is a great way to introduce new vocabulary for kids of all ages.
I really hope you give one or two of these muddy adventures a try. Please tag me @the_harmony_tree_house if you do - I love seeing those happy play smiles!
Thanks so much Heidi - we can't wait to let our kids test out all of these ideas!
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Creative QT designs quality + innovative toys that declutter homes and inspire creative play. Founded by parents of five, Adam and Dana Sue Hinkle, Creative QT’s vision is to empower parents and encourage a culture of families that Make Time Together. All products are designed to enrich families’ lives through active, creative play and play based learning. Creative QT products are laboratory tested for compliance with CPSC requirements and are free of lead, cadmium and phthalates so you can play with confidence. So, go ahead … today is the day: be your kid’s hero.
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