Muddy Play Round Up

Things have been quiet around here, Miss Cherub is now 4 weeks old and we are still settling in.   Dimples has been a great little helper and his usual active self. We have been having lots of fun, so although the blog may be getting a bit quieter we certainly aren't and life is very busy at the moment until we find our new rhythm.

 

In recent months we have been experimenting with mud.

Here is a round up of the Muddy Posts to convince you its not so bad :)

 

Dimples loves to get messy and loves the outdoors.  In the backyard he has his very own mud pit, right next to his sand pit and a very cool mud kitchen (see below) this feed the messy outdoor play addiction. It provides endless avenues of play and learning experiences, playing with mud doesn't have to end with mud pies! 

 

I realise not every one is keen on letting their child play in the mud but we here in the Australian country are used to the dirt and mud, we embrace it.  You wont see a door step that doesn't have a muddy pair of gumboots sitting by the door. 

 

Let me try and convince you that it is a good thing with a round up of our Mud play.  Take note, as you look through, to the lovely happy and cheerful expressions on Dimples face as he plays away.

  

 

Mud is good for you right?

This was one of the first adventures we had with mud. I was sceptical and had to do a little research to reassure myself it was OK to give him free range of mud. We started with the classic mud pies and gumboots. Dimples had a ball, he enjoyed it so much; This post has info on why mud is good for kids to play with.

Mud Rally Tub

If you aren't comfortable with free range of mud and after a quick clean up, or if you're in an apartment or city where mud just isn't easily accessed this one is for your children. A mud sensory tub, keep it all in the tub and it can be tipped out and washed after the play is finished.

 

 

 

8 benefits to playing in the mud

Another post that includes information on why it is good to let the children get messy and play in mud. Its a free and endless resource with many benefits, check out these 8 reasons.

 

The Mud Kitchen

 

This is the marvellous Mud kitchen that Dimples Adventurous Dad built him. It is awesome and has been one of the best gifts he has. He loved his outdoor play and this kitchen, which cost next to nothing has provided him with so many memorable play experiences already.

Mud Painting process Art

Something different where the child gets to explore mud without getting absolutely covered in it. This post was Dimples mud painting, or should I say splatting? Art is all about the process and this one, done with mud was really process art. Have a look at the different tools we used to create it.



 

How to make and play with Mud bricks

The most recent Mud adventure that is by far my favourite is How we made and played with Mud bricks. Dimples really enjoyed constructing mud brick huts, houses, walls and stairs with the mud bricks that he made himself. It was also a good lesson on how materials are formed.

 

 

So there you have it.

Lots of muddy fun in lots of different ways.

Mud play doesn't have to be simple mud pies, it can be what ever you want it to be.

Have I convinced you yet?

 

Happy adventures

 



Mud Painting: Its 'Process' Art

Mud stations provide much more than just pretend cooking and mud pies.
Have you ever tried Mud painting?
It is pretty effective and I am sure you know that Mud painting isn't done for a beautiful product you can put on the fridge.
It is process Art: which means it is all about the exploration, learning and experimenting that the child experiences during the process of creating the art.

Here Dimples had lots of fun Stamping, Splatting and Stomping things in the mud.
He explored the different patterns made from the different shaped utensils and what happened when he used them differently; tilting them, rolling them, splatting them, stamping them, sliding them around to get different effects on the white paper.

The whisk and the masher were the favourites as they had the most effective print.
I had some plastic animals near by that he wasn't too interested in. He used a pig and a dinosaur to do foot prints. He made them stomp around for a while and rolled the pig in the mud but went straight back to the utensils.

Remember, Its the PROCESS that matters: Children's Process Art fosters sensory perception, it provides the opportunity to represent and symbolises real life experiences or just be freely imaginative, it offers children a chance to explore, experiment, learn by cause and effect, create and build, but most importantly it gives them the freedom to be an individual.
Creating an Art piece, in their eyes is a way for them to express themselves in the way they wish without having to conform. The process is fun and may be many different things to them. This freedom is what makes it special. So when it comes to children, forget about the beauty of their art and focus on what is being experienced.

What better way to explore the process and freedom of Art than with some Mud painting?

Happy Adventures :)

8 Benefits of Playing in the MUD

The Benefits of playing in the Mud truly outweighs the mess of it by far.
Have you seen our Marvellous Outdoor Mud Kitchen???

The importance of messy out door play is drifting away in many households, especially now in a technology savvy world where children seem submerged in television, Ipads, mobiles, computers and game consoles rather than sprinklers, dirt, sand, bikes, trees and dandelions.

So why is playing in the mud important?  Many parents see their young child heading for a mud puddle and see potential mess, dirt stained clothes and hazardous germs so they stop.  When I see a mud patch I see potential sensory fun and giggles, splashing and opportunities to explore and enjoy the outdoors, avenues for imagination and creativity.

Did you know that studies have found a good bacteria in soil that has been linked to improved quality of life and happiness?  There is an abundance of information on how playing in the mud boosts a child immune system so it is not only healthy for you but makes you happy.

 

Open ended play

This gives opportunity for creativity and imagination. Mud kitchens and Mud stations are child led activities and allow self soothing that becomes a some what therapeutic relaxing event where the child can connect to the outdoors with the freedom to let their mind wander wherever it wishes to.
Open ended play leaves doors open so a child can develop the independence and confidence to play within their own limits, the way they feel comfortable.

Stimulation of many senses while engaged in play

Sensory stimulation is a necessary part of brain development.  Children can listen to nature sounds of the outdoors, mud/water/slopping sounds, birds and so on.  Tactile stimulation through touch and the different feelings of dirt, pebbles, sticks, water, mud, and the different textures. Seeing how materials mix, mash, pour, transform, squish and so on through different methods of play.

Eye - hand coordination

Mud kitchens provide good practise  of eye hand coordination and help further develop the neural pathways responsible for these movements. So while scooping, mixing, pouring, carrying pots full or mud, transferring materials and serving up mud children are increasing their eye hand coordination and through moving around the different weighted materials, balancing them and having steady control of them, they are strengthening all those important muscles that are still growing.

Cause and effect

Something that is often overlooked in outdoor free play is how a child learns through experimentation and observation.  For example, The mud blocks the sink, the large pebbles don't fit through the funnel, dirt and water makes mud, mud settles at the bottom of the pot, bark chips float to the surface and so forth.

Pretending Real life Play

Mud stations allow children to develop real skills using real life instruments, working in a real kitchen, working with real resources (even though its done in a pretend way they're not plastic right!?) this leads to learning real consequences and learning through exploration.  Whether they are role playing being a chef, making a mud pie or just enjoying splatting mud like an erupting volcano they are utilising natural materials.

Imagination and Creativity

Open ended mud play leads to creativity. After all Mud is an art medium. We've all heard of mud pies but have you ever tried mud painting? Through the freedom of open ended play and utilising rich coloured mud a child's imagination develops as they role play, story tell, chat away in their own fantasy world, create things and make things, pretend real life scenarios and so on.

Gross motor skills

As with all forms of out door play, mud play enhances gross motor skills. As the child handles materials and work around the mud station, carry full shovels of mud or balance full pots of water, lift and pour containers, stir and scoop with utensils, squat, stand, sit and physically move around doing their thing they are being active and using important gross motor actions.

Self care knowledge

This is broad but also very important.
Self care knowledge can be expanding on as the child plays with mud in many ways. To begin with if it is an outside area like ours, you can first inspect the area for creepy crawlies or spiders, ask them to tell a parent or grown up if they see any and remove sticks from the play area.
If it is a mud kitchen they are playing with it gives a good opportunity to practise cooking skills and self care skills in the kitchen by pretending with them. For example cooking with the handles facing away, holding the handle of the pot as they stir it, pretending to always turn of the stove or oven, hot surfaces, packing away the dishes etc.
This can also extend to after play tidy up by making sure they tidy and pack away, washing the things ready for next time, washing their hands after and putting dirty clothes in the wash when they're done etc.


Why not give it a go?
If you score low on the mess-o-meter and are still hesitant about letting your kids roam in mud. Keep the above in mind, put them in old worn clothes that aren't important, gumboots and have a change of clothes.

To get you started here are some objects you can use with Mud.

Kitchen play: Pots, pans, spoons, ladles, containers, muffin trays, bowls.

Dumping: Toy cars, mud, Dump trucks and diggers, small shovels.

Pretend cooking: Cooking utensils, a bowl, dirt, gum nuts, daisies, clovers, dandelions, seeds, water can.

Animal tracks: Mud, a flat surface, plastic animals with feet able to do foot prints with.

Mud pie's: Cake dish or pan, sand, sift, spoon, mixing bowl, dirt, mud, water, a pretend oven.

Mud painting: Mud, water, brushed and sponges, a large paper or wall.

If you havent already check out this previous post "Mud is good for you right?" & of course Our Outdoor Mud kitchen.

Happy Adventures :)