21 Things to Do With a Mud Pie: An Outdoor Activity Book

by Jane Wilsher, Teo Georgiev (illustrator)

Ivy Press 21 Things to Do With a Mud Pie An Outdoor Activity Book (21 Things to Do Outdoors) ABISBOOK Ivy Press.

Genres: Childrens, Nature, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 3, 2024

Reviews

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 5 out of 5]

21 Things to Do With a Mud Pie by Jane Wilsher is a delightful, playful exploration of childhood creativity, offering a perfect balance of fun and imagination. This charming book takes the simple concept of a mud pie and transforms it into 21 different activities, each brimming with hands-on learning and outdoor adventure. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or caregiver, this book provides a wonderful way to encourage kids to embrace messy play & engage with the natural world around them.

Wilsher’s writing is whimsical and inviting, and the activities are as clever as they are simple. From pretending to bake delicious, imaginary treats to using mud to create nature-inspired art, each idea sparks creativity while promoting sensory exploration. The activities are perfect for young children, encouraging them to connect with their surroundings and use their imagination to the fullest.

The illustrations, also by Wilsher, are equally delightful. They’re vibrant, colorful, and brimming with charm, perfectly complementing the light-hearted tone of the text. The illustrations are not only entertaining but also help bring the activities to life, making it easy for kids to visualize and engage with the concepts being presented.

One of the strengths of this book is its ability to promote outdoor play. In an age where screen time often dominates, 21 Things to Do With a Mud Pie serves as a refreshing reminder of the joy that can be found in nature, with the added benefit of encouraging children to get dirty and embrace the sensory experience of mud.

The only reason I’m not awarding a full 5 stars is that while the activities are wonderful, a few of them feel a bit repetitive in terms of concept, focusing mostly on creating and playing with mud. A few more diverse activities or themes would have made the book feel even more varied. However, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise delightful book. In addition, 11th activity page is horizontal not vertical.

Overall, this is a fantastic resource for fostering creativity, imagination and outdoor play for children, a perfect addition to any child’s bookshelf and an excellent tool for parents and educators looking to inspire some messy fun.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: 21 Things to Do With a Mud Pie by Jane Wilsher

Rating: 4 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing "21 Things to Do With a Mud Pie" by Jane Wilsher, and it was absolutely adorable! This charming outdoor activity book is packed with creative ideas that make getting your hands dirty a whole lot of fun. As someone who appreciates nature and the outdoors, I think this book would be an excellent addition to any homeschooling curriculum.

At its core, this book is all about the wonders of mud. Wilsher encourages kids to embrace their playful side by building towers from baked mud bricks, crafting cozy homes for worms and ants, and decorating massive mud pies with flowers, twigs, and leaves. It’s a treasure trove of activities that blend arts, crafts, games, and science experiments, all aimed at getting kids outside and interacting with nature.

What really impressed me was how Wilsher not only highlights the joy of playing with mud but also educates young readers about its importance in the ecosystem. The book explains how mud contributes to plant growth and serves as a cozy habitat for various animals. With dedicated how-to boxes and step-by-step instructions, kids can dive into these activities easily—whether they’re done solo, with a friend, or alongside a grown-up.

One aspect that stood out to me is the flexibility of the activities. They can be tackled in any order and are perfect for any season. Whether it’s a chilly autumn day or a sunny summer afternoon, there’s something for everyone.

I truly loved how Jane Wilsher emphasized that children can have fun while also nurturing their understanding of the earth and its ecosystems. The instructions were straightforward and complemented by fascinating facts that transform each activity into an interactive learning experience. This book does an excellent job of keeping kids occupied while also instilling knowledge about the world around them.

Moreover, the cute illustrations and informative tidbits about different types of mud and real-life science experiments right outside our doors are fantastic! It’s a wonderful resource for encouraging young people to explore their environment and learn as they play.

Lastly, I have to appreciate Ivy Kids for their commitment to the planet—they print their books on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. This eco-conscious approach is just another reason to love this book!

In conclusion, 21 Things to Do With a Mud Pie is not just a fun activity book; it's a delightful tool for learning about nature while getting your hands dirty. I’d give it a solid four stars and highly recommend it to parents, educators, and anyone looking to inspire curiosity in the great outdoors!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squishy, grimy, and packed with oh-so-many possibilities, the wonder of mud is explored in a way that won't necessarily have parents pointing kids to the bathtub with tons of soap in hand.

These pages take a peek at the world of mud. While I expected this read to head into a crafting direction—and it definitely does that too—it's takes a look at the purpose, living space, and a bit of science surrounding mud. The table of contents gives a run-down of the 21 mud ideas, which include everything from the classic mud-pie creations to more biology based worm habitats and gardening in the mud. And for those parents, who are already cringing at the idea of the upcoming mess, there's a tip section, which lays out some basic, safe, and cleanlier handling tips (although it is mud, after all). I was a little sad to see that the '21 things' aren't really 21 separate ideas, but do cheat a little with some sliding more into explanations or preparations rather than specific, independent ideas. But there's still tons of goodness in these pages.

Each page carries a very active illustration with characters, who are doing several different things at the same time. The running-around gives a busy impression at first glance, but also draws in. The text, which describes facts or how-to for the projects, is in block form (for the most part) and well set to the age group as well as clearly printed, but there are also more than a few extra bits of information scattered and placed everywhere. These take every shape and form to create an almost hectic scene, but it does a lovely job at bringing readers to take the time to gaze at every page and sink in. It keeps things lively and offers quick spurts of facts and more. The how-tos are well done and should be no problem for readers to follow.

Not only creative readers will enjoy the various project ideas, but science fans will have a chance to learn more about dirt and mud. This makes it a lovely add-on for homeschool themes or as a fun alternative to classroom possibilities as well. I received a DRC through Edelweiss and enjoyed the mix aspect of projects and science.

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super interactive and well-written book! All of the activities were doable and not too complex, and all of them were good for kids AND the earth. I loved how the author made a point to accentuate that kids can have fun, while also caring for the earth and the natural ecosystems all around them. This is so, so important and relevant in today's world. Additionally, all of the instructions for the activities were easy to understand, and there were lots of facts that went along with the instructions that makes this book an interactive learning experience. It's perfect for kids because it keeps them occupied AND helps them learn new things. Lastly, the illustrations added a lot to the book with their detail, their colors, and the way they accurately demonstrated, through cartoon children, how to do the activities. It really gives that final to get kids into playing with mud, gardening, and the outdoors.
Bravo!

[Alexis Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

21 Things to Do With a Mudpie is the perfect book for adventurous kiddos who are not afraid to get messy! My girls enjoy going to the local Nature Center where they have an outdoor kitchen so I knew this book would be a hit. This outdoor activity book is educational and fun. There are ideas for making mud pies among other play food like soup and donuts, making your own fossils, rolling out mud and making animal prints. Some other activities include identifying which type of soil you live near, using mud as paint, observing the creatures that live in the soil, planting, and composting. I didn’t realize how much my kids could actually do just by stepping outside and letting them use the hose pointed at some soil for a few minutes. This book would be a great gift for a child or even an accompaniment to homeschooling and learning about plants, soil, fossils, animals, etc. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to share this one with my children.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Ivy Kids Eco and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This children's book was so much more than I was expecting, based on the title. Encouraging the reader to dive into the mess of mud - be it as mud pies or otherwise - this activity book imparts lots of nature facts and shares many suggestions for crafts, and activities. The illustrations reinforce the message about caring for the earth - a fun way to help kids discover natural science in a hands-on way.

[Casey Densmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE the concept of this book! I didn't realize how educational mud could be. This book is filled with ideas and information about soil. I enjoyed reading about all of the things you can do with mud, so I know a child would enjoy this. The illustrations are wonderfully done. The colors are calm and the pictures are detailed. Overall I thought this book was very entertaining and I would recommend it!

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Saloni Porwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a unique book! I saw the title and found it intriguing, so I had to find out what it was about. I believe it is a fascinating way of getting children into nature and outdoor activities. It's filled with amazing tasks that children can engage in, and I believe these things can form some core memories of childhood. Regardless, it is well thought out and has visually appealing illustrations while also having cool bits of information to grab the attention of all kinds of readers. Now I'm excited to find more by this author.

[Sally Wilsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most through book on mud pies I have ever read. I got for nostalgic reasons. My Granddaughter who is now a teen loved mud and mud pies as a little one. I could not keep her out of the mud. This book goes into detail on what kind of mud to make and soil to use. Info on butterfly gardens and how to compost in a bottle. Also mud soup and mud bricks. I really enjoyed this book and will definately add it to my library for my Great Grandchildren.

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect book for children who love to get messy. Not only does it give you ideas on what they can make out of mud. It also gives the importance of mud, the scientific reasonings behind mud, how mud is one of the main resources of an ecosystem, how mud helps plant growth. There is so much children can learn by going outside and exploring what's on there doorstep. So in other words parents let your children get dirty and discover more about mud.

Thank you Netgalley for a couple of the book for an honest review.

[Wendy Droke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This adorably well illustrated book provides many awesome facts about different kinds of mud as well as different real life science experiments and creations you can do with the things right outside your door. This is a great book for encouraging young people to learn about their world and have fun while doing it.

[Bzz Kolla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Ivy Kids for this eCopy to review

21 Things to do with a Mud Pie is a fantastic activity book jam packed with nature facts, crafts, and activities. It was great fun, easy to do, and the activities do not cost much to do is is accessible for all. We loved the illustrations and the caring for the Earth message

I great gift or school book

[Claire Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an adorable book! I loved how it included both fun and creative activities and little educational snippits. I don't fully know what I was expecting, but I was surprised by the wide range of things to do with mud, dirt, sticks, leaves, and all else you can find in your backyard. The activities are easily accessible and would be fun for any outdoor-loving young child.

[Barbara Band]

21 Things To Do With A Mud Pie is packed with activities designed to encourage curiosity & engagement with nature. Focusing on play-based learning & requiring minimal resources, it's perfect for 3-7 years primary teachers & caregivers. #messyplay #nature @QuartoKids

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science about animals and their homes and earth layers and activities to do to make an ant home, make a fossil, grow sunflowers and build a butterfly garden. Fun activities to do with children outside in the dirt or mud.

[Alesandra: banter_or_bust · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great. It teaches soil science in a cool, fun way to engage young readers. The illustrations are beautiful. I think most kids who like playing in dirt would really enjoy this book.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun beautifully illustrated book that teaches kids 6-8 about nature, ecosystems, plant growth, and more, using the medium of mud! A keeper!