On this afternoon, we went outside and I opened the shed doors. One of the girls stated those famous words "I'm bored!" I  love those words because I know that's when our best ideas come. I told her to take a look and bring one of the bins out to the grass. She began looking for materials but she didn't know what she would do with them. She found a container with holes in the bottom and watched as the water poured through. What comes next is magical. 

​The first step was to search for materials to use. They weren't quite sure what the plan was, as it kept evolving into something different and more elaborate. Those are the best plans, aren't they?

​ Next came the pouring. Water was poured from different sized jugs into a medium sized silver bowl.
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“We need mud!” Dirt was gathered, then shaken into a sifter to create a “smoother” texture. “We can’t have lumps!”

​Out came the measuring spoon and spatula. Dirt was carefully shaken into the bowl of water. “Look! It’s clumping! Holly, feel it thickening.” Then a bit too much dirt was added. “Ooops. Let’s add water.” Water was then carefully added to the dirt and water mixture; one tablespoon at a time so as to not overfill with water. 

​Creating a dish from mud is not an uncommon practice. In fact, I'm sure most of us adults have done this very same thing when we were children. During this activity, there is so much experimentation and trial and error with ratios of dirt to water; getting that perfect consistency and pride when you have created something you’re proud of; and trust me, they were certainly proud!
 
I invite you all to go back to your childhoods this summer, and play with mud!