Happy Kids & Messy Mud Pies

The girls love making mud pies!  I cannot count the number of times they have been found mixing up a batch of dirt, sand, clay, pebbles, water, sticks, and a variety of other treasures they find in the yard to make their special mud pies.  The mud pie in this picture was made especially for me!  🙂   It is what they call a “Happy Mud Pie”!   When I was a kid my Mom would let me make mud pies in the backyard so this activity brings back some fun memories for me too.  Although, I don’t remember getting so dirty doing it as a kid, but my Mom may have a different opinion about that subject.  Ahem…

To be honest one of the biggest reasons I am not a big fan of the kids making mud pies is because it is messy (I don’t like big messes), not to mention the random holes they happen to dig in our yard, but when I do allow it they usually have a blast and come up with some interesting creations.  They always get excited when they get my approval to make mud pies!  After whipping up their mud pie concoctions they will set them out in the sun to bake for a couple days. Once they are good and dry they will pop them out of their containers and proudly show us their fun creations.

The more I think about it the mud pie making process is good practice for cooking (measuring ingredients, mixing, etc…) plus it allows them to experiment, and be creative with a variety of ingredients.    While I will probably never be a fan of messes sometimes I have to let go of my priorities and just allow the kids to have fun making a mess.  Plus, if it is warm enough outside I can hose them down prior to coming indoors.  🙂   I am thankful for my kids and glad that they enjoy opportunities to play, be creative, and yes even make messy mud pies.