15 Awesome Mud Play Ideas That Kids Love

Whether it be a good, old fashioned mix of sand and water or thick and sticky, clay based earth, mud play is a fabulous way to engage children in good, old fashioned sensory play which is why we’re sharing fifteen awesome mud play ideas that kids LOVE!

15 awesome and messy mud play ideas

15 Fabulously Messy Mud Play Ideas

Did you know? June 29th is International Mud Day, an event that celebrates the value of involving children in outdoor, nature based, messy play. Could you host your own International Mud Day event? Here are some ideas to get you thinking and planning!

1. Make a mud kitchen: The first step is creating a mud play space. Don’t despair if you have a small outdoor area or soil that isn’t safe for play as this simple DIY mud kitchen solves all of your space problems. Now there is no excuse not to play with mud!

2. Make mud pies: Recycle old baking trays to the mud pit to bake in. Add coloured fairy stones, flowers, seed pods and leaves to decorate.

Make mudpies for mud play

3. Make mud houses: Add a bundle of sticks, leaves and river stones alongside a few small figurines to mud play for making cool mud dwellings.

4. Mud prints: Make mud prints with your hands and feet on the pavement. Then have fun hosing it all off once you are finished.

5. Mud paintings: Make mud paintings outside with brushes and pots of soft mud. You can hose them off once you are finished.

6. Making rivers: Make rivers and dams by digging water courses into the dirt. Experiment with ways to change or direct the water flow. Consider what other natural elements can you add to help the water flow or pool?

7. Construction zone: Make a mud play construction zone by adding toy trucks, pebbles and small shovels.

8. Mud bricks: Provide pre-loved ice trays and have a go at making mini mud bricks. Via Imagine Childhood.

9. Add your favorite figurines: Add plastic bug, bird, farm animal or dinosaur figurines to invite some messy, imaginative play.

10. Read a muddy story: Inspire your mud play by reading one of these fabulous picture books before you head out to play (click on the image to find out more about each title via Amazon. These are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases).

One Duck Stuck: Books about mud
Mud Puddle book by Robert Munsch
Harry the Dirty Dog book for mud play ideas
Mrs Wishy Washy book for messy play

11. Get racing:  Carve out roads in the muddy landscape and get your toy cars off and racing!

12. Muddy problem solving: Add short lengths of plastic plumbing pipe, some short lengths of plastic guttering, spades and buckets, and then sit back to see what your children create.

13. Mud balls: Try your hand at mud ball making with this mud throwing target practice! Via Hands On As They Grow.

14. Glittery fairy mud: When you’ve had enough fun with traditional mud, try something completely different by making glittery fairy mud with your kids. Via Happy Hooligans.

15. Muddy tea party: Raid the local thrift store for some secondhand metal tea pots and enamel or plastic mugs. Add cut herbs, grasses and flowers from the garden and host your very own muddy tea party.

Finally, if your children are true fans of mud and messy play, why not dedicate a small outdoor area to a mud play kitchen! We’ve collated our pick of the best simple mud kitchen ideas to get you started.

And if you are not quite brave enough for mud, check out our collections of sandpit play ideas for kids and easy water play ideas.

For even more outdoor sensory play, check out these related articles;

A GIANT list of playful activities for exploring each of the five senses & sensory play ideas for kids of all ages
Super Sandpit Play Ideas
Let them go barefoot and 6 more 'rules' for play. Why free play is so important for children and the 7 rules parents need to let them have more of it