Taste-safe mud. Where did I even come up with this idea?
Two words: brownie batter.
I made brownies one weekend and thought, this looks like mud.
And then it was like a thousand lightbulbs went off in my head.
My kids will looooove this.
I have to admit, I was a little nervous about letting the kids get so messy.
But if you could’ve seen how excited my three-year-old was while I was testing out ratios for the mud recipe, you would understand how quick that nervousness went away.
A little bit of a mess is totally worth it when it comes to making my kids happy and excited for some screen-free play.
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How to Make Taste-Safe Mud for Sensory Play
Making taste-safe mud couldn’t be easier. I bet you already have these ingredients. Having the right ingredients is half the battle! Look at you, you’re already winning.
The ingredients you’ll need are:
- cocoa powder
- water
- flour
And that’s it!
Mix 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 cup of flour in a large bowl.
Slowly whisk in 3/4 to 1 cup of water with the cocoa powder and flour until the mixture has a mud-like look to it.
You’ll know when it’s ready.
Doesn’t it look like the real thing?
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How We Played With Our DIY Mud
I put the mud in a shallow pan and had a second full of soapy water and a sponge.
Then Big Sis tested out the mud.
She chose to play in the mud with a pig and a bulldozer.
After Little Sis woke up from her nap, I stripped her down to her diaper, and let her loose.
She absolutely loved it and only tried to eat it once.
Good thing it’s not real mud! Yuck.
We decided to run with the farm theme and added a few more characters from the set.
The poor farmer got choked and drowned in the mud. Sorry, bud. Rough day.
Little Sis was not interested in cleaning off the animals, but Big Sis totally was.
It made for a good combo. One gets the toys dirty, and the other cleans them.
All while Mom and Dad watch from a safe distance and strategize the clean-up and bedtime routine.
Tips to Maximize Fun and Minimize Clean-Up
Tip #1: Take the kids’ clothes off. Elena is three and likes to keep clean, so she was allowed to keep her shirt on. Lia, however, is only one and is all about that mess. If you could’ve seen her at the end of this activity, you would’ve thought I’d let her roll in the mud.
Tip #2: Lay an old shower curtain liner on the floor to catch alllll the mess. I like using a shower curtain liner because it’s waterproof AND you can toss it in the washing machine to clean it.
I first used a towel to clean off the big clumps (don’t want THAT in the washer!) and then chucked the whole liner into the washer on the rinse cycle. Done and done.
Tip #3: Set some ground rules. For example, my girls are not allowed to throw mud. Not fake mud, not real mud, not ever. Period. End of story. If they break this rule, the mud gets taken away. This is how they know I mean business. It’s tough being a mean mom, but it’s the only way to stay sane around here.
What We’re Learning
Sensory play is always a great opportunity for kids to practice language skills and gain sensory input.
It’s one thing to read about pigs rolling in the mud, and it’s another thing to experience it! (Or at least get really, really close to experiencing it…)
Sensory play like playing with taste-safe mud can help kids make connections. This is what mud feels like, this is what it looks like, this is what happens when I squish it in my hands, etc.
Taste-safe mud really engages the senses. The way it coats the toy animals when you roll them around in it. How it smells like chocolate, but tastes incredibly yucky! And how it feels when you stick your hands in it and move it around.
All these things are getting filed away into our kids’ brains and helping them understand a little bit more about how the world works.
Not bad for a messy, muddy activity!
Your Turn to Make and Play with Taste-Safe Mud
This taste-safe, chocolatey mud gets all the stars in my book. It’s just as gooey as real mud. It smells good, and it’s made with edible ingredients that I almost always have in my pantry!
Don’t be scared; you’ve gotta try this. If you’re still intimidated by the potential mess, look back at my tips for minimizing mess above.
And if all else fails, throw them all in the bathtub. It’s probably about time for a bath, anyway.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!