International Mud Day will soon be upon us (June 29th). Preparing for Mud Day will help make the event fun for all ages. Consider where the best outdoor place is to have your mud day event. Make sure to have a water source and hose close by to provide water and aid in clean up. You will also want to make sure you have towels available for the children when they are cleaning up and their extra clothes handy.
Think about what open ended supplies you will provide for the children. Of course, the most important supplies are the ingredients to make mud, water and dirt. Also have various sizes of empty containers for the children to mix this mud-luscious concoction. Recyclable materials like yogurt containers and egg cartons work create for creating mud pies, and can be recycled at the end of the day for easy clean up. You may also want some buckets of water for the children to wash off the mud during the event.
The children will interact with the mud in many different ways. Some children will partake in pretend play, making and cooking various muddy recipes. Other children will immerse themselves in the sensory experience of squeezing the mud between their hands, watching the gooey substance fall to the ground. You will also have the investigators, pouring water on muddy hands and watching the mud magically disappear. Some children who are more repelled by the mud might need some encouragement to interact with it.
Regardless of how the children interact with the mud, these open-ended experiences will provide lasting memories of Mud Day!
