March brings rain and rain brings mud; there's just no getting around it. After trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to keep the kids and the floors clean for the past several days, I’ve decided to stop fighting—and start embracing—the mud. How thrilled the kids are with that decision! They can hardly wait to play in that squishy, oozy, messy, magical stuff.

Dressed in the grubbiest clothes I could find, we're out in the yard, puddle jumping. Rubber boots are the footwear of choice today, and make perfect mud puddle waders. Luckily, the rain has stopped, so I've brought out some butcher paper we can use to make mud paintings. It’ll be fun to watch the color change as the mud dries on our masterpiece.

Later, we’ll do one of my favorite activities from childhood—making mud pies. I can hardly wait!

Muddy Buddies

We spend so much time trying to stay clean that we sometimes forget how much fun it is to get dirty. Why not put on your rattiest clothes and take the kids out for some fun in the mud? Try making mud sculptures or using gelatin molds or cookie cutters to shape your creations!

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