Well......I warned you that today was going to be MESSY!  I'm sure we sent home plenty of proof (on their clothes, under their fingernails, in their hair, and who knows where else) that we actually talked about dirt and mud today.  The hidden theme for the day was "How many times can the children wash their hands in one day?" :)

We started the day with dirt and carrots in the Touch and Feel pool.  There were measuring cups and magnifying glasses for the children to use as the explored how dirt feels, smells, and looks!

Our book today was How to Make a Mudpie by Rozanne Lanczak Williams.  This book told us all the tools and ingredients we needed to make a mudpie.  The kids learned that if you take dirt and water and mix them together, you get mud!  I think, for once, Ms. Michelle was not the highlight of Tuesday!

After reading the book, we gathered our materials and headed outside to make mudpies.  The rain helped make them extra soupy!  We went around the courtyard searching for the perfect leaves and sticks to add to our creation.  Then we added some special, sparkly jewels.....just because!  The mudpies were looking a little drab and needed a little shine!  When we were finished, we got to wash our hands outside in the spicket....and splashed our way back inside.  We saw several worms on the sidewalk too!  It was a great day for "out of the box" learning!  There were so many spontaneous sentences being said outside, I couldn't even keep track of them all!  But be careful when you unpack from school today.....in the plastic bag we sent home today, you will find your child's mudpie!

Since we were already dirty from science in the mud, we decided to bring some "dirt" inside for art.  We made Dirt Paintings.  Brown paint mixed with some potting soil makes a beautiful picture.....probably not well suited for your walls....but beautiful just the same! 

Oh yeah.....somewhere in the middle of all the dirt activities, Ms. Michelle came!  As usual, she was awesome.  We started with some gross motor cards where the children imitated animals.  We slithered like snakes, hopped like rabbits, walked like penguins, and galloped like horses.  Everyone took two turns going through the long blue tunnel today!  In the past we've had some holdouts, but today everyone went without hesitation!  Ms. Michelle also brought a really fun activity from her program Fundanoodle.  The kids had an outline of a jack-o-lantern and some multi-colored pegs that they hammered in one at a time.  There was a thick foam back that provided some resistance and stability to our pictures.  The kids LOVED it!

Today was jam-packed with dirty fun!  Wet socks, muddy pants, dirty fingernails.....and that's just how Ms. Tiffany and I looked at the end of the day!  Hot baths and naps for everyone! Lots more fun planned for tomorrow!