Playing in the mud and using it to make silly faces on the tree, being a child is awesome! This Silly Mud Faces activity was inspired by TinkerGarten, my absolute favorite place to find outdoor activities for my children. You can also sign your kid and yourself up to go to a local TinkerGarten Class and experience the fun of being outdoors with other children and their parents. Click the link below to find out more about TinkerGarten.
Click here to check out more about TinkerGarten
Why Playing Outdoor Is Important?
Getting outside with your kids is important for many reasons. There are no ceilings and you can feel free without walls and windows holding you in. For me, it’s fresh air that calms my mind and slows down my thinking process to enjoy this time with my kids 100%. Toddlers also need this break in their day as well to release energy by running around wild and free. A change in an environment is healthy for your toddler, especially when you are headed for outdoors. They need time to adjust to routines in their life and getting outdoors daily can help with that balance and structure in your child’s day.
Check Out These Other Toddler Activities That Inspire Creativity and Imagination
- Cotton Ball Painting
- Painting With A Re-Purpose
- Down By The Shore Sensory Bin
- Rainbow Pasta Sensory Bin
What Do You Need To Paint With Nature
Anything you find outdoors really! You can do this activity in your own backyard or at a park. Follow your child’s lead and make suggestions along the way. Some things you can do and talk about with your child could be:
- Paint silly mud faces on a tree.
- Paint the driveway or sidewalk with the mud.
- You could even paint yourself with mud!
- Use the mud to paint on a giant roll of paper.
- Paint the side of your house or fence with mud too!
- Discuss what types of items your child found while searching for nature items.
- Talk about the colors, smell, shapes, of the items they found in nature.
- Most importantly, let your child use their full imagination!
What Does This Activity Focus On?
Child-led play is something I love to implement in my home with my toddlers. Child-led play is allowing your child to express their independence and their wants and desires by following them and not directing them. This way you can tailor activities and routines in a way that is exciting to your child and in return helps them learn better and have fun while doing it. This painting with nature activity is a perfect example of child-led play as it focuses on following your child’s imagination.
I hope this activity inspires you to create even more fun ways to play outside with your kids. We are outdoors any chance we get and if you have any ideas yourself please feel free to comment below! I love sharing and inspiring with others and I’m always looking for more ways to make learning fun. Don’t forget to share on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest if you enjoyed this activity.
