How can mud play be accessed indoors?
Mud play is often associated with the outside environment; however this may not always be accessible. Mud play can be brought inside to ensure children are still able to benefit from the experience. Here are 6 easy ways to offer mud play inside.
Dinosaur world
Tuff spots are a great way to offer mud play indoors. A large tuff spot can be filled with mud for the children to explore. You could create a dinosaur world for the children to experience by adding small pools of water, some sticks and leaves and small plastic dinosaurs. The children will enjoy stomping the dinosaurs through the mud and the water, narrating their play and offering role play ideas.
Sensory bottles
Sensory bottles are a great way to experience mud and natural resources without having to get dirty. Some children may be hesitant to join in with mud play in fear of getting messy, however this restricts their investigation skills. Adding mud and some plastic insects or mini-beasts into a bottle can enable children to explore the mud in a controlled way, searching for the hidden insects.
Mud patches
This activity is best offered on a hard floor area that can be mopped afterwards! You will need to cover an area of the floor in black bin bags for the children to walk over. Simply add some mud and a little water to make the mud squishy and wet. Allow the children to walk barefoot through the mud patches and talk about how the mud feels on their feet. It is a great idea to have a small tray of water for the children to stand in and wash their feet afterwards.
Mud painting
Painting is a great activity to develop gross and fine motor skills, alongside creative development. Mud can be used when offering painting to give the children an alternative material to make marks with. Simply add some mud to a paint pot and add a small amount of water to the mud, mixing until the consistency is smooth and thick. The children can then use this to paint with, offering a textured, 3D feel to the painting.
Planting and growing
Planting is an easy way for the children to experience mud and compost indoors. Sunflowers are a great plant to start growing small, and can be transferred to a larger pot. Adults can offer small individual pots (or even large, empty yoghurt pots) for the children to plant their own seeds. Allow the children to spoon some compost into their pots, filling it to the top. Then ask the children to push the seeds into the compost and cover them over. The children can decorate the pots themselves and help to take care of their sunflowers by watering the plants daily.
Making mud pies
Mud pies are a great way to fully experience mud play. Outdoor mud kitchens give the opportunity to mix the mud in saucepans and bowls; however this does not need to be restricted to outside. Mud can be offered in a large tuff spot inside alongside bowls, spoons and saucepans. The children will continue to access the mud play as they had outside, just on a smaller scale.