After we do the Ivory soap explosion experiment, we use the results to make clean mud.
Clean mud is basically a dough make from soap and toilet paper. It’s nice and squishy so it’s a great sensory activity, plus it’s very moldable.
Make Clean Mud
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- 1 roll of Ivory soap
- 1 roll of toilet paper
- 1 cup warm water
- pipettes
- washable liquid watercolors
(or try food coloring)
If you are doing the Ivory soap experiment, wait for it to cool and then break apart the soap into flakes/small chunks. Otherwise, grate the soap.
Put the soap flakes into a tub.
Grab a cup of warm water, and add it to the soap flakes – get your hands in there and mix it. Mixing by hand always adds to the sensory fun (my kids like me to keep a towel nearby so they can dry their hands as they go).
Then get the toilet paper off the roll! You’ll need the whole roll, but only after it’s ripped up. Trust me, kids have no problems shredding the TP. Throw it, playing catch with it, roll it and rip it apart!
Add the ripped up toilet paper and mush it into the soap and water mix. Once the toilet paper is pretty well mixed in, start adding color.
Use several different colors. Squirt bursts of color throughout your mixture using the pipettes
And then mix it with your hands and add even more color!
Don’t have liquid watercolors? Try food coloring. I like using the washable liquid watercolors because of the “washable” part. It gets all over and I haven’t had a hard time with it staining our hands or clothes.
Mold and play! This is a fun one to add animals to – or bust out the My Little Pony dolls.
Totally Awesome Clean Mud Recipes
The Science Behind Clean Mud | Lemon Lime Adventures
Clean Mud Garden Sensory Bin | Study at Home Mama
How to Make Clean Mud Recipe (Taste Safe) | Powerful Mothering
Music Inspired Clean Mud | Witty Hoots
Clean Mud and Flowers| Peakle Pie
Clean Mud Bubble Dough | Bare Feet on the Dashboard
Clean Mud Sensory Tray | Creative World of Varya
Lego Clean Mud | Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tail
Gone Mudding! Clean Mud Sensory Dough Play | Stir the Wonder
Clean Mud | In The Playroom
Clean Mud Fine Motor Gem Dig | Still Playing School
Clean mud, clean paper? | Glittering Muffins