Our Sandbox Has Become a Mud Pit

A letter from one of our GSRP teachers to the families of the children in her class;

"Spring has sprung and as the snow has melted away; our sandbox has become a mud pit. As parents, when our children veer towards mud puddles, we often think about the potential mess and piles of dirty clothes that will form on the floor of our laundry room. From an early childhood teacher perspective, however, we see endless opportunities for open-ended play. Today, the sandbox on our playground became a mud kitchen as children created mud pies, discussing the various ingredients necessary to make the recipe perfect. There were managers and employees, cooks and customers. As children played, they watched the mud change from a solid form on the ground to a liquid form as it poured off their shovels. They observed how various materials, such as sticks, rocks, pebbles, and leaves, mixed and mashed into the mud, and watched as the deeper they dug into the sand pit, the more water seeped out and formed onto the surface. Children placed piles of mud on top of the large red ball and observed as it dripped down the sides describing its appearance and giggling.

Some might say it just looked as if they were simply enjoying getting messy, but from the educational perspective, we recognize that sensory play such as this encourages brain development. Large and small muscles and hand-eye coordination were developed as children scooped, mixed, poured, carried, and transferred the mud from one container to another. Social-emotional and language skills were strengthened as children engaged in cooperative play with one another and acted out various community roles, such as being a chef or a baker. Science and math abounded as children experimented and explored using cause and effect and discovered volume and measurement as they filled and emptied their pots and pans.  

However, we recognize, yes, mud play is messy and currently, our weather is still on the chilly side. Thus, over the course of the next few weeks, please send your child to school with clothes that can get messy, because we will! Snow pants or other mud pants (perhaps a lighter, nylon track pant) that can be worn over your child’s clothes will be helpful. Rain or snow boots are important, too. Please do not feel as if you have to wash your child’s mud gear each night – in fact, if you would prefer, leave it hanging on their coat hooks at school and take it home to wash on the weekend only.  There is absolutely no need for any of us to do laundry every day (it’s quite possibly my most dreaded chore!)  Also, take a peek in your child’s basket cubby – you might want to bring in an additional change of clothes for those “just in case” times. Kenneth and I are looking forward to all of the numerous learning opportunities that we will discover during this wet, muddy spring, but we want to make sure our children and parents are well prepared for the “mess” that comes with it!"

Holly Delgado

Early Childhood Specialist/Preschool Teacher

HighScope Educational Research Foundation