The Power of Outside Play on a Warm Weather Winter Day

With 70 degrees predicted for the high today, I decided to get my rambunctious 2-year-old OUTSIDE to play. I set up a water tub and a sand tub in our garage (it was still pretty windy outside) with lots of toys. I put him in play clothes that could get dirty, and then I sat back with my camera to capture the messy fun that 2-year-old boys enjoy so much!

Sand in the garage only intrigued him for so long...then the melted snow puddle in front of our garage beckoned him. He tried floating a boat like Curious George does in the morning cartoons he watches.

Then he spent a LOT of time in the warm sunshine
finding rocks to throw into the puddle.

I figured this would happen eventually - he did really well most of the morning walking around the puddle, but he couldn't resist anymore.
He told me he was a frog.

I tried to get him to smile for the camera, but he said he was too busy playing. "It be fun, mom!" he told me. He might have tried to stay out there all day, but the last of the snow along the fence caught his attention and he tried walking (sinking) through it against my wishes. He eventually lost a shoe in the snow and sat down crying in defeat.
He was ready to go inside for a bath and lunch...so was I!

It is hard to tell from this photo, but he has mud splashed all the way onto his face and hair! He was soaked to his knees.