5 Tips for Sensory Mud Play at Home

Mud play is a classic source of childhood joy – making mud pies, splashing in puddles, rolling down hills and exploring slippery creek beds are iconic memories of childhood.

Mud provides an ideal platform for children to immerse themselves in sensory play, and in doing so begin to build a possible life-long connection to the natural world. Nurturing this connection in children is vital as it builds values associated with empathy, nurture, love and a broader sense of belonging.

Mud Play at Home = Mud Kitchen

When it comes to mud play at home, one idea we love is a mud kitchen. There is no need for a mud kitchen to be at all fancy. In fact, this idea for a simple mud kitchen requires just a few simple household items.

No matter how simple or fancy your mud kitchen is, once it is ready, it’s time to cook up a storm!

Tips for Sensory Mud Play at Home

1. Provide children with plenty of utensils, pots and pens etc. to use to help construct their muddy culinary creations.
   
2. Always have water on hand for children to change and experiment with the consistency of the mud.
   
3. Plant hardy, kid friendly flowers and herbs nearby, such as lavender and rosemary so children can use all the senses when “cooking.” For more ideas for child friendly plants, check out this list of ideas over at Childhood 101.
   
4. Provide writing tools and materials to encourage children to write or mark when recording what they are going to use or their ideas as part of their process.
   
5. Take photographs of the wonderful creations and print them out for use in a simple mud kitchen recipe book.