How to Make Mud Cupcakes

I grew up in the days of black and white tv and toys that made you use your imagination. In my day all the fun was happening outside, not indoors in front of a TV or other screen. We had to create our own excitement by running, jumping, playing outdoor games and such. In fact, we would have our breakfast, go outside and stay until lunchtime, eat quickly, then head back outside. If we stayed indoors too much my mom would imagine things for us to do and we definitely wouldnt be having any fun! So, outside it was, and there wasnt a whole lot to do. I cant tell you how many mud pies I made in those days. My sisters and I would take old pans that we were given to play with (supposedly indoors in our cardboard box kitchen) and we would make mud pies. We didnt eat them, of course, but they sure were fun to make.

Back when I made mud pies the first order of business, if it hadnt rained recently, was to find an area somewhere in the yard where grass didnt grow well, and begin making the mud hole. I would scrape with a stick until I got a nice pile of loose dirt then pour water on it and stir. After I plopped the mud in the pan, and smoothed it all out nicely, the really fun part began. I would make designs on top of the pie that no other pie in the world had ever had. It was fun to use sticks, rocks and found implements to make flower shapes, geometrical shapes and more. Sometimes I would find a flower, a leaf or even a cooperative lady bug to adorn them. My mud pies werent delicious but they sure were pretty! But, sadly, every mud pie has to go back from where it came, so, at the end of the day, Id have to dump all the mud back in the hole, pat it down well and hope Dad didnt notice, and wash out the pans with the water hose. Of course, there would always be another mud pie day.

Most parents dont let their kids play in the mud today but that doesnt mean the child wouldnt like to. And, if youre a parent you should reconsider your no-mud policy. Kids can really get creative when they have a mud slate on which to decorate. Thats, in fact, is the case when you let your kids make mud cupcakes. They actually turn out quite lovely and you really dont have to dump the mud back where you got it; you can display the miniature works of art! Make your own mud hole and use old utensils to scoop it up. Set up an old muffin tin, place a cupcake wrapper in each one, then place the mud inside. Now let the kids have fun using toothpicks, sticks or other implements to draw on them. Or, allow them to gather things from the yard or the woods, like berries, rocks, tree bark and flowers, and use these things to make a different type of artwork. Other things from around the house can also be incorporated into the mud cupcakes. Marbles, soda lids, fake flowers and leaves, foil and assorted other things can help your child create his or her first masterpiece. The mud cupcakes can be set on a windowsill, shelf or other area and displayed for quite awhile. After some time the mud will dry out, and begin to crack, and you might want to dispose of them after that. And that day can become another mud pie day!