Muddy Pigs is a favorite sensory activity that happens at Little Light House each fall. While some students play outside in the real mud, many of our classes use large vats of chocolate pudding for this fun sensory experience!
Muddy Pigs takes place as part of our unit on Creation, focusing on how God created land and animals. Leading up to Muddy Pigs, students learn about different animals, animal sounds, concepts of light and dark, and land and water. These fun activities not only target sensory and motor skills, but are also used to foster comprehension and vocabulary growth.
Students practice concepts like “dirty” vs. “clean” by getting muddy and then cleaning up with water or by playing with toy farm animals in the pudding and washing them in soapy water. Teachers and therapists label bins to match, enriching students’ language and concepts of print.
Muddy Pigs can truly be adapted to meet any student’s cognitive and physical needs. Some students may practice writing their names in the pudding, others may practice identifying animals, and another group could be focused on exploring and getting comfortable with a new texture. Even students who have a strong aversion to becoming messy can still participate in Muddy Pigs! They can use a paint brush to brush mud or pudding on a pig toy or laminated photo of a pig, or focus on washing the pigs in a tub of clean water. Every student is given an opportunity to participate!
We love Muddy Pigs!
For a more in-depth look at the importance of messy play, sensory engagement, and the importance of play, enroll in our FREE online course, “Teaching Strategies: Let’s Play!”