Outdoor Play: A Marvelous Mess  

Do you remember your favorite ways to play outside when you were growing up? Perhaps it was making mudpies or drawing in sand with a stick—or perhaps you or the adults around you preferred to avoid a mess.  

Trying out new hands-on, physical ways of experiencing and connecting with nature, such as splashing in puddles, digging in dirt, or rolling down hills, can be deeply joyful learning experiences that build children’s sense of connection to — and lifelong love of — nature. It can also mean getting dirty!  

Just as babies explore the world with their mouths, young children learn so much through their sense of touch; many children are naturally drawn to digging and playing in dirt and splashing in water. These activities are great for stimulating children’s senses and developing language skills (for instance, as they make mudpies, they may learn descriptive words such as squishy, mucky, slippery, slimy or gloppy). They’re also full of science lessons. For instance, when children garden with you, they may learn that water and dirt make mud, or that worms mix the soil as they move around, which help plants grow.  

The freedom and sensory experience of messy outdoor play can offer children confidence and the opportunity to build creativity in a way that indoor play can’t. Messy play is also a great way for children to connect with one another. It’s okay to get messy sometimes… consider planning for messy play by dressing children in clothes that can get dirty or stained. Try letting go and joining them yourself! 

And… check out this video of Abby and Oscar learning and enjoying as they get messy after a rainstorm.