Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
I shared earlier this week how our nature play often develops organically over the course of the time we spend outside. This activity is a perfect example.
It started when the explorers wanted to paint. While they painted, I grabbed a bucket and started filling it with dirt. Then I added some water and asked the big explorer if he thought it might be fun to try painting with mud.
That was all it took for his interest to turn from the paints to the mud. He immediately sunk his hands into the bucket, telling me all the while exactly how the mud felt.
Then he made his handprints on paper and on the sidewalk.
He had just as much fun playing “mud monster” with the little explorer.
Before the fun was over, the two of them had discovered an especially wet part of our grass and began running through it repeatedly. The result was two kids covered head to toe in mud.
Oh, how I wish you could have heard the squeals of delight! You can read more about the big explorer’s take on the whole thing here.
Take-Home Tips
- Let the kids get dirty. Very dirty. Once the kids got their hands muddy, there was no stopping the inevitable spread of it. Relax and be ready for a serious clean-up effort.
- Get creative when choosing things to “print.” Try muddy shoe prints, or run a toy car or train through the mud and make tracks. How about a stick, leaf or rock?
More Ideas for Spring Outdoor Fun
- Get creative with flower painting or painting on leaves.
- Plant a flower.
- Download the Nature Rocks Spring Activity Guide.
- Or try one of these 50 ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
