American mud pies are all well and good, but Japanese preschoolers got it goin' on. Dorodango, literally "mud dumpling", is a ball of mud, carefully shaped by patient little hands. But it's also become a true art form.
Dorodango can be gently polished after formation and thorough drying, resulting in a shiny, marble-like ball you might even want to put on permanent display. And even a rowdy little one can get in on the act: Japanese educators have found that children are easily engrossed in the process of creating dorodango, and enjoy it so much that even imperfect spheres and unshiny finishes are regarded with personal pride.
Detailed instructions to create your own dorodango can be found here. It looks like it takes a lot of practice to get it down, but what's more fun to practice than making mud balls?
(via Metafilter)
