Johnson House
Banksia Room
Story by Educator Denise
Sensory Play and Exploration: Mud Play
The children in Johnson House Banksia room have been engaging in sensory play and exploration in our Mud Kitchen to extend on our recent experience in the Outdoor Classroom, where we played in the rain and made muddy puddles.
After reminding the children to take off their socks and shoes and to roll up long pants, we flooded an area with water using a hose. Educators actively joined in the sensory play and exploration alongside the children to engage them and to model how to feel the mud in between our toes and on the soles of our feet. Over time, we closely observed how the water collected on some parts of the ground to make little water holes, allowing us to find the best place to make more mud.
We used our bare feet to squish, scrape and dig the soil and to mix it with the water to make mud. The squishy texture and cooling temperature of the wet mud invigorated the children to stomp, jump and run their feet in the puddles created. In doing so, they were fulfilling their sensory needs while building mindfulness, respect and wonder for the natural environment, and enjoying each other’s company in a community spirit.
It was great to see some of the children who don’t usually engage in this type of play trying it out through their curiosity and sense of belonging with their peers. Thye explored in their own ways, such as following my lead or staying near the premises to observe their peers.
We also sorted through the resources available in the learning space and added some new plates to the space. The children made use of these to collect water and mud, and they started using these items in pretend play after making enough mud.
