Last week, making mud became a social event.  Children started in the garden area watering the plants with watering cans.  That quickly turned into watering the dry soil that was in the dirt digging box.  With such a small perimeter, the children had to work carefully and cooperatively so that the mud didn’t splash all over them.  Exploring the properties of dirt and mud can be the start of a science project.  But, children need lots of time to explore on their own before they are ready for a structured experiment.  The three year old preschool classroom is the perfect setting for free exploration.