🪱 WORMS IN MUD SENSORY PLAY
🪱 What You’ll Need
For the “mud”:
- 5 cups plain flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
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1 cup oil (vegetable or coconut both work)
For the “worms”:
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Around 10 strands of spaghetti
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A few drops of red or pink food colouring
Optional for extra fun:
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Large bowl and a second empty bowl for transferring worms
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Tongs or tweezers (for older children)
🍫 How to Make It
1. Prep the flour safely (important!)
If your little one is still in the mouthing stage, you’ll want to cook the flour first to kill off any harmful bacteria. Simply spread the flour on a baking tray and cook at 130°C (265°F) for 1 hour. Let it cool completely before use.
2. Make the mud
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and oil. Rub the mixture between your fingers until it has a soft, crumbly, dirt-like texture. It should feel dry but mouldable — like real mud!
3. Create the worms
Boil the spaghetti as you normally would, adding a few drops of red or pink food colouring to the water while it cooks. This will give your worms a wriggly, pinkish hue. Once cooked, let them cool, then cut each strand in half.
4. Bury and play
Bury the spaghetti worms deep into the mud mixture, and invite your child to start digging! Provide an empty bowl for them to “rescue” the worms into.
For older children, you can make it more of a challenge by adding tongs or large tweezers to pick up the worms — great for building fine motor strength and coordination.
🌱 What Your Child is Learning
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Sensory exploration – squishy, gritty, soft textures all activate the senses
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Fine motor skills – picking up “worms” with fingers or tongs helps strengthen little hands
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Early science concepts – digging, sorting, and exploring natural textures
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Imaginative play – pretend gardening, animal rescue, or just messy fun!
💡 Tip:
Set this up outside or on a tray for easier clean-up. You can store the mud in an airtight container and reuse it for a few days if you’d like to extend the fun!
Love sensory play like this?
👉 Check out our Learn With Me Baby and Toddler cards — designed to make playtime easier, more meaningful, and actually support your child’s development.
Follow us on Instagram for more simple, fun ideas you can try at home — and tag us if you give this one a go! We love seeing your little explorers in action. 💛
