Encouraging outdoor play

Mud Cast

Walking through mud of the right consistency (not too wet and not too dry), observant children may spot the tracks of wild animals as well as human footprints. They could also make prints themselves, using their hands or bare feet, or pressing natural objects such as snail shells, leaves, twigs or cones gently into the mud

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You Will Need

• Strip of card about 30cm/1ft x 6cm/2.5in, with a paperclip to fix into a circle
• To make square or rectangle cast, use a small cardboard box (such as a chocolate box) with the bottom removed.
• Plaster of Paris
• Water
• Plastic Container
• Newspaper

Safety Tips

• Before playing with mud, cover cuts with waterproof plasters.
• Make sure hands, feet and anywhere else exposed to mud are washed properly afterwards.

Making the Mud Casts

• Choose mud that is the right consistency to hold the shape of print.
• Select existing animal or human tracks or make some new prints.
• Place the ring or square of cardboard around the print, pushing it gently in the mud to make a frame.
  
• Pour some water into the plastic container and carefully scatter plaster of Paris over it until the water stops soaking up the plaster. Mix with a stick. The plaster should be a think creamy consistency.
• Gently pour the plaster into the card frame to a depth of about 2.5cm/1in
  
• Leave to set for about twenty minutes, then gently prise the cast out of the ground and wrap it in newspaper to take home.
• After a couple of hours the cast will have set hard enough for you to rinse off the mud. Scrub with an old toothbrush to clean it properly. The cast can then be left as it is or perhaps the children could decorate it by painting and varnishing.
  
• Try this activity in a patch of soil in the garden. Soak the mud with water until it is just the right consistency and then make casts of all sorts of things, from a toy soldier to the cat's paw print.

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