It's Playtime: Rolling in the Mud

Last week was International Mud Day (June 29th) and boy were their tons of ideas on It's Playtime!  But you don't have to wait another year to play in the mud.  Check out these great posts and get your mud on!

Create some faux mud of your own for sensory play with this Mud Dough Recipe shared by From Chalkboards to Strollers.   

Join Pre-school Play and let your child create some Mud Pictures using paper and natural elements.  

Growing a Jeweled Rose shared over 30 Muddy Activities!  I think my favorite is the Mud Pit.  I'd like to play in it.  Who knew there were so many ways to enjoy the mud?  

Cars and mud, what could be better?  Check out this Monster Jam Small World from Playground Laboratory.  

There were many other mud related activities shared on last week's It's Playtime.  Please go back and check them out!   

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEYKQj4S7oHoLKfsA3PoeXgaNMJ5dxkdUxIphbmwXOlbFg78Gwl73-rT8AdMTgmqYmIJZrkJRYOqOEItkCbR_exui4YhZqLlwZaBHXhC5slGyqPScnxvq-zrQezw9-MdIUiecgW3fxKg/s1600/featured-messykids.jpg" width="150/" /></a>

These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 

Now, on to this weeks play date! 

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.

* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWLA7lm_Fqc/TaNHGpGSuVI/AAAAAAAAEX0/DGSvqIT7fyU/s320/RED-itplaytime.jpg" width="150" /></a>

* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.

* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)

* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

Art in the Rain

On Labor Day, San Diego was given a special treat.  A rare, summer storm passed through our city bringing us thunder and rain.  Growing up, my parents and I spent many summer vacations in southern Texas where summer storms were common.  My great aunt and uncle have a house on the Guadeloupe River and my cousins and I would stare out the window over the river and watch the lighting.  When the lighting ceased, we would play in the warm rain, smelling the earthy smell that only rain can bring.  Here in San Diego, summer storms pass quickly bringing a couple rumbles of thunder, simply to announce it's arrival, and about 10 minuets of rain.  Our storm this past week lasted a little longer, mostly clouds and humidity, but a little rain on and off for about 24 hours.

The moment it started to rain, I checked for lighting, then grabbed my son and told him we were going to play outside; I knew we didn't have long.  Then the idea hit.  We would create art with the rain!  I'd seen rain painting on another blog months ago (I'm sorry, I don't remember whose it was) and had been waiting to try it.  I grabbed some white paper, dry Kool-Aid, and a popsicle holder, and ran outside to play.

We used the popsicle holder to house the various colors of Kool-Aid.  My son was able to grab pinches of the powder and sprinkle it onto his paper. 

Then he set the paper out in the rain.  The rain drops wet the powder creating a vibrant splatter pattern.  

Michel made a 2nd picture, this time he tried dumping the powder.  He was surprisingly careful.  

For the 3rd picture, we wet the paper first, then Michael finger painted with the Kool-Aid.  

 He dumped the remainder of the powder onto the paper which created little mounds for him to spread around.  

Now it's messy!

Of course he had to eat some of it!

Our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd paintings.

Michael became bored of painting and found some mud to enjoy.  So we turned that into art too!

I figured I might as well join him.

We made prints on the driveway as well.

As quickly as it appeared, the rain was gone.  But, we enjoyed a good 20 minuets outside together in the fresh, clean air.  Playing in the rain is good for the soul.

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