MUD! Kids love it and you can too.

You’re at the park with your child when they suddenly spot a puddle and start running toward it. Your natural instinct is to stop them. You might say, “We have to walk around the water today,” or, “We don’t play in mud puddles.” But why?

Children crave hands-on exploration, which is especially beneficial while their young brains are still  under construction. When children explore the outdoors, they are able to learn first-hand how the world around them works. Puddles and mud offer a natural sensory activity. As they stir, pour, mix and create mud sculptures, their brains light up with discovery. From building focus to developing fine motor skills, mud is a great teacher and the perfect way to support brain development.

Gear Up

Mud is fun but does the thought of an extra load of laundry cause you to tell a child, “Sorry, no puddles today.” What if I could wave a magic wand and make the mess disappear? How would your reaction to mud change?

Unfortunately, I can’t make the mess disappear. But, there are things you can do to minimize it!

• Rain gear and boots: Good gear will protect clothes from getting wet and relieve the headache of cleaning muddy shoes. You can find rain gear everywhere from your local thrift store or community “Buy Nothing” groups to online retailers. If you can, treat yourself and get your child a pair of rain pants, too!
• Reusable bag: When you go exploring, pack a reusable bag. When your child is done playing in the mud, they can change out of their wet clothes, throw the messy stuff into the bag, and they’re ready to head home in clean, dry attire.
• Towel: After your child has played in mud, it’s likely their hands are a little muddy. By bringing a towel, they can wipe their hands dry. If you forget a towel, grass works wonders to clean muddy hands!
• Clothes drying rack: When you get home, your child can help hang their muddy, wet clothes on a drying rack. Resist the urge to wash their rain gear; it can lose its waterproofing when washed too frequently. Once gear is dry, brush off loose dirt and return it to your reusable bag.

Jump In

As a nature preschool teacher, I spend a lot of time near puddles. We sometimes take a walk to explore what the rain has left for us. If you are wondering what to bring to help encourage learning, here are a few of my favorites:

• Sand toys: Buckets, shovels and funnels will help your child develop important midline crossing skills, improve hand eye coordination, and strengthen gross motor skills.
• Measuring cups and spoons: These can help bring math concepts into mud play.
• Pots, pans and spoons: To support imaginative play
• Natural loose parts: Children can use sticks, leaves, etc. to add art to their mud creations.
• Boats and other things that float: Science skills develop naturally as kids watch their materials float or sink.

When children engage in these ways, their brains stay focused and they can soak up all kinds of new information, just by playing in mud. Lean into that! We want kids to learn and develop in hands-on ways, and mud is such a supportive teacher.

Engage

This is all great, but what happens when a child starts using mud in unexpected ways? The number one thing to remember is to stay calm in moments that test our boundaries. Look deep! Find your inner yogi. When adults stay calm, we help children regulate their bodies so they can manage their own emotions and responses.

I don’t know about you, but when I say, “No!” “Don’t!” “Stop!” and “Can’t,” I start feeling frustrated that I have to keep saying the same thing over and over again. Instead, you can shift your word choices to what you want the child to do and give them an alternative activity.

Instead of, “Stop throwing mud,” try, “I notice that mud is flying everywhere. We can keep soil on the ground. Can you show me how we can scoop soil?”

Instead of, “Stop splashing me!” try “I don’t want to be splashed. I am going to move my body away from you so that you can keep splashing and I can keep my body away from the splashes.”

Climb Out

Mud brings joy and sparks wonder. I see it every day in my classroom. The smiles, the laughter and the learning that happens as mud pies are being shared. Children are learning new skills and we are learning how to support them outdoors. Mud will always be there to teach us to let go and let joy in.

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