Pigs in Mud/Dirty Pig, originally Drecksau, is a fast, interactive card game where each player is a farmer taking care of their piglets. Players try to be the first to get all their piglets “happy in the mud.”

In this adapted version, we keep the original rules but shift the meaning:

• Mud is not “dirt = bad.” It represents a natural behaviour and habitat need (cooling, skin protection, insect protection).
• Water is treated as a valuable shared resource that should be used carefully.
• Other cards (Barn, Shut Door, Rain, Lightning, Lightning Rod) become story tools for protection, responsibility, and understanding natural forces.

Students still play competitively, but they also track a shared “ecosystem impact” (Nature Meter) and use quick, in-the-moment narration cues that connect game choices to caring for living beings and shared resources.

Skill focus

Primary Skill Focus

• Valuing people and nature

Complementary/Secondary Skill Focus

• Connectedness
• Critical Thinking
• Problem-solving
• Empathy

Age group	Student number	Duration
6-10 years old	2-4 teams per game (with 1 -2 players each team). For whole-class use: play in groups, with one game set per table.	20-30 minutes gameplay + 10–15 min debrief = 30–45 min total

How to play – brief game rules

1. Short introduction (2 minutes – teacher script)

The educator says:

• “In this story, muddy means comfortable and protected—it’s part of nature for some animals.”
• “Water is precious. We use it when we need it, and we avoid wasting it.”
• “We can play to win and still be respectful and responsible.”

2. Game setup (as in the original)

• Give pig cards:

• 2 players → 5 pigs each
• 3 players → 4 pigs each
• 4 players → 3 pigs each

• Shuffle the remaining deck.
• Deal 3 cards to each player.
• Place the rest face-down as the draw pile.

All piglets begin clean (clean side showing).

3. Goal 

The first player to have all their piglets “happy in the mud” (muddy side showing) wins.

4. A turn 

On your turn:

• Play 1 card from your hand and do what it says.
• Draw 1 card from the deck (so you return to 3 cards).

Optional discarding rules :

• If you don’t want to play any card, you may discard 1 card without effect and then draw 1.
• If you cannot play any of your cards, you may discard all 3 and draw 3 new cards.

5. “Skill add-on” that does NOT change who wins: The Shared Nature Meter

Place a small meter on each table with two token types (very simple):

• Water Drops (5 tokens) = shared water resource
• Care Leaves (5 tokens) = stewardship/care actions

When tokens change:

• When a player uses a Washing card → remove 1 Water Drop
• When a Rain card happens (cleans all pigs) → remove 1 Water Drop (nature event that impacts everyone + water use effect)
• When a player uses Mud on their own pig and says a 1-sentence habitat reason → add 1 Care Leaf (up to 5)
• When a player protects responsibly (Barn or Lightning Rod) and says a 1-sentence “why protection matters” → add 1 Care Leaf (up to 5)

Important: Tokens do not affect the winner. They help children see “shared impact” and build discussion.

6. End of game

A winner is declared by the original rules.

Then the group quickly looks at:

• Water Drops remaining
• Care Leaves gained and discussed what kind of “farmers/community” they were during play.

7. Card Meaning Guide 

• Mud card

• Game action: Muddy one of your pigs (flip to muddy side).
• Meaning: Habitat/behaviour need (cooling, insect protection, sun protection).
• Micro-prompt: “Mud helps because ___.”
• Washing card

• Game action: Clean (flip back) a muddy pig of an opponent.
• Meaning: Human intervention—sometimes helpful, sometimes excessive.
• Micro-prompt: “Need or waste?” (one word)
• Rain card

• Game action: All pigs get cleaned (everyone flips to clean).
• Meaning: Nature affects everyone; shared conditions; we can’t control everything.
• Micro-line (no answer): “Nature impacts all of us.”
• Barn card

• Game action: Place on one of your pigs to protect from Rain (only).
• Meaning: Shelter/stewardship—protecting living beings from harsh conditions.
• Micro-prompt: “We protect to keep them ___.” (safe / healthy / comfortable)
• Shut Door card (played on top of a Barn)

• Game action: Once the pig is muddy, add Shut Door so no one can bother it.
• Meaning: Boundaries/ownership/control—protecting can be good, but it can also create “closed access.”
• Micro-prompt: “Protection or control?” (choose one word)
• Lightning card

• Game action: Destroys a Shut Door (and breaks that protection).
• Meaning: Sudden disruption/hazard—unexpected events happen in nature and life.
• Micro-line: “Unexpected things happen.”
• Lightning Rod card (placed on Barn)

• Game action: Protects a Barn from Lightning.
• Meaning: Prevention/preparedness—responsible planning to reduce harm.
• Micro-prompt: “We prepare so ___.” (we reduce harm / we stay safe.

Indoor (ideal):

• Tables in groups of 3–5.
• Teacher circulates to support fair play and quick prompts.
• A small “nature reminder” image on the table (wetland/soil/water) can help framing.

Outdoor (possible):

• Use benches/tables, protect cards from wind (tray, clipboards, small weights).

This game develops Valuing People and Nature (with emphasis on nature) because it repeatedly invites children to practice respect for living beings and ecosystems through concrete choices, visible consequences, and short reflection in the moment.

1. Understanding and appreciating nature as a whole (wholeness)

• The pig’s well-being is shown as a relationship between a living being and its environment: mud, rain, shelter, and sudden events all influence what happens.
• Cards like Rain (system-wide change) and Mud (habitat need) help children understand that nature works as an interconnected system, not as isolated objects.

2. Empathy and meaningful relationships with living beings

• By reframing “muddy” as “comfortable and protected,” children practice thinking from an animal’s perspective: “What does this animal need to be okay?”
• The Mud micro-prompt (“Mud helps because…”) creates repeated, simple empathy moments without pausing the game.

3. Curiosity and respect for differences (living beings need different things)

• The game challenges the default idea that “clean is always good.” Children learn that different species have different needs and that nature isn’t “right/wrong,” it’s context-based.
• The Washing micro-prompt (“Need or waste?”) supports critical curiosity: when is intervention caring, and when might it become control?

4. Kindness, fairness, and care (valuing beyond winning)

• Students practice playing competitively without cruelty, using respectful language and emotional regulation when their pigs are cleaned or when rain resets progress.
• The teacher’s framing (“protect people, question actions”) reinforces a values-based approach: we can compete while still caring.

5. Taking responsibility and transforming values into actions

• The Shared Nature Meter makes responsibility visible:
• Washing/Rain reduces Water Drops → water is limited and shared
• Mud/Barn/Rod can increase Care Leaves → protective, stewardship-minded actions
• This helps children connect game behaviour to real-life behaviour: saving water, thinking before acting, protecting living beings, and planning ahead.

6. Human–nature interdependence (shared impact)

• Because the meter is shared, children see that individual actions affect the whole group’s “ecosystem balance.”
• This supports the core idea: valuing nature means noticing consequences and making choices that respect the common good.

After this game, students will be able to demonstrate the following (in age-appropriate ways):

Understanding and valuing nature (primary)

• Habitat needs (Mud meaning): When playing a Mud card, students can give one correct habitat reason (e.g., cooling, insect protection, sun protection) in one short sentence at least once.
• Resources and responsibility (Water meaning): When a Washing card or Rain card is played, students can identify it as using/affecting a shared resource by correctly moving 1 Water Drop on the Shared Nature Meter and saying “need” or “waste” (one word) at least once.
• Nature as a system (Rain / Lightning): Students can state that some events affect everyone (e.g., rain changes all pigs) using a simple phrase such as “Nature affects all of us” at least once during the round or debrief.

Stewardship, protection, and consequences (primary)

• Protection actions (Barn / Lightning Rod): When placing a Barn or Lightning Rod, students can name what they are protecting (safety/shelter/prevention) in one short phrase at least once.
• Protection vs control (Shut Door): When a Shut Door is used, students can choose between the words “protection” or “control” (one-word classification) and explain in one sentence during debrief.

Values to actions (primary)

• Common good thinking (shared meter): Students can describe the shared meter idea in simple terms:
• “Our choices affect the water/care tokens,” or
• “We share the water,”
• at least once in the debrief.

Emotional awareness, regulation & communication (secondary but essential for safe play)

• Emotion vocabulary: Students can name one feeling that appeared during play (e.g., disappointed, excited, frustrated, proud) and link it to an action (e.g., “I felt frustrated when my pig got washed, so I took a breath.”) during debrief.
• Regulation strategy: Students practice at least one quick strategy during play when disappointed (e.g., pause + breath + “next plan”) with teacher prompting.

Connectedness (secondary)

• Respectful competitive language: Students can use at least one respectful sentence stem during play (e.g., “I choose this because…” / “Next time I will…”) instead of teasing/attack language.
• Shared responsibility: Students can show awareness that the Shared Nature Meter belongs to everyone by making one suggestion like “Let’s try protecting instead of washing so much” (during play or debrief?”

At each table, place:

• the 7-Card Meaning Guide (one page)
• the Shared Nature Meter (5 Water Drops + 5 Care Leaves)
• a tiny “micro-cue strip” for the teacher or the table’s Nature Narrator:

• Mud → “Mud helps because ___”
• Washing → “Need or waste?”
• Barn/Rod → “We protect/prepare so ___”
• Shut Door → “Protection or control?”
• Rain/Lightning → “Nature affects all of us / unexpected things happen”

Assign rotating roles (30 seconds):

• Nature Narrator (reads the micro-cue)
• Token Keeper (moves the tokens)
• Fair Play Helper (reminds respectful language)

This makes the values part built-in, not added later.

Example 1: Mud card (habitat need + empathy)

Game moment: A child plays Mud to muddy one of their pigs.

Teacher or Nature Narrator cue (3 seconds):

• “Mud helps because ___.”

Student micro-response (1 short phrase):

• “It cools them down.” / “It protects from insects.”

Visible action:

• Flip pig card to muddy side + add 1 Care Leaf (if you’re using Care Leaves for stewardship statements).

Why this matters (teacher note):

 Children practice seeing nature as home and protection, not “dirty = bad.”

Example 2: Washing card (resource stewardship + moderation)

Game moment: A child plays Washing to clean an opponent’s muddy pig.

Cue:

• “Need or waste?” (one word)

Student response:

• “Need.” or “Waste.”

Visible action:

• Flip pig to clean + remove 1 Water Drop

Optional follow-up (only if calm, 5 seconds):

• “One way to save water is ___.”

Student: “Turn off tap.”

Why this matters:

Links “using water” to shared resource and encourages conscious choices.

Example 3: Rain card (systems thinking + shared impact)

Game moment: Someone plays Rain and all pigs get cleaned.

Teacher cue (no student response needed):

• “Nature affects all of us.”

Visible action:

• Everyone flips pigs that are muddy → clean
• Remove 1 Water Drop (because the shared system changed / water impact is highlighted)

Emotion integration (optional, 3 seconds):

• “Thumbs: calm / annoyed / surprised?” (kids show thumbs and continue)

Why this matters:

 Kids experience system-wide change and practice regulating disappointment.

Example 4: Barn card (stewardship, shelter, caring protection)

Game moment: A child plays Barn on a pig (protects from Rain).

Cue:

• “We protect to keep them ___.”

Student response:

• “Safe.” / “Healthy.” / “Comfortable.”

Visible action:

• Place Barn card + add 1 Care Leaf

Why this matters:

Frames “protection” as responsible care, not just competitive blocking.

Example 5: Shut Door card (protection vs control – critical thinking)

Game moment: A child places Shut Door on a Barn (only after pig is muddy).

Cue:

• “Protection or control?” (one word)

Student response:

• “Protection.” or “Control.”

Visible action:

• Place Shut Door (no token move needed during play to keep it fast)

Debrief anchor (teacher note):

 Save the “why” for after the round:

• “When does protection become too much control?”

Why this matters:

This is the strongest “values” card — it introduces nuance without moralizing mid-game.

Example 6: Lightning + Lightning Rod (risk, prevention, responsibility)

Game moment A: Lightning is played and destroys a Shut Door.

Teacher cue:

• “Unexpected things happen.”

Game moment B: Lightning Rod is played on a Barn.

Cue:

• “We prepare so ___.”

Student response:

• “We reduce harm.” / “We stay safe.”

Visible action:

• For Rod: place Rod + add 1 Care Leaf

Why this matters:

 Connects to real-world responsibility: planning ahead is part of caring for living beings.

Example 7: Connectedness + common good strategy (when Water Drops get low)

Game moment: The Shared Nature Meter is low (0–1 Water Drops left).

Teacher micro-cue (5 seconds, not every time):

• “Team check: How can we play strongly with less water use?”

Student suggestions (choose one):

• “Use Barn more.”
• “Stop washing every turn.”
• “Protect instead of wasting.”

Visible action:

• No rule changes — just awareness.

Why this matters:

This is where the game stops being “theme” and becomes collective responsibility.”

Must-have (for the game to run)

• Pigs in Mud card deck / game set (includes pig cards + action cards)
• Table space for 3–5 players per set (desks pushed together or one table)

Must-have (for the skill focus to be visible and assessable)

• 7-Card Meaning Guide (Nature Edition) – 1 per table

• Mud / Washing / Rain / Barn / Shut Door / Lightning / Lightning Rod
• Purpose: makes the valuing nature link explicit and consistent
• Shared Nature Meter kit – 1 per table

• 5 Water Drop tokens (buttons, counters, paper drops)
• 5 Care Leaf tokens (stickers, counters, paper leaves)
• Purpose: shows shared impact + stewardship actions in a concrete way
• Note: tokens should be large enough not to get lost
• Micro-cue strip (teacher/table prompt card) – 1 per table (or displayed on board)

• Mud → “Mud helps because ___.”
• Washing → “Need or waste?”
• Barn/Rod → “We protect/prepare so ___.”
• Shut Door → “Protection or control?”
• Rain/Lightning → “Nature affects all of us / unexpected things happen.”
• Purpose: keeps prompts short and doesn’t disrupt gameplay

Strongly recommended (for classroom management + connectedness)

• Role cards for table jobs (optional but highly effective):

• Nature Narrator (reads micro-cues)
• Token Keeper (moves Water/Care tokens)
• Fair Play Helper (reminds respectful language)
• Card Organizer (keeps discard/draw tidy)
• Purpose: keeps all children engaged, prevents domination, supports connectedness
• Respectful play sentence starters (small card or on the board)

• “I choose this because…”
• “My next plan is…”
• “I feel ___, so I will take a breath.”
• “Good game / well played.”
• Purpose: reduces teasing + supports emotional communication

Debrief support (useful but optional)

• Whiteboard / flipchart for quick debrief capture
• two columns: “What helped nature?” / “What used shared resources?”
• Emotion words mini-strip (calm / annoyed / frustrated / proud / excited)
• Purpose: helps younger learners label feelings quickly without long talk

Practical classroom extras (only if needed)

• Timer (optional)
• to keep turns moving and prevent long debates
• Table weights / tray (for outdoor play)
• prevents cards/tokens from blowing away.

A) In-game micro-cues (use only when that card is played)

(One short response, then continue play. No discussion.)

Mud card (habitat need / empathy)

• “Mud helps because ___.” (cooling / insects / sun / comfort)

Washing card (resource stewardship / moderation)

• “Need or waste?” (one word)
• Optional follow-up only if time: “Need for ___?” (health / safety / rules)

Rain card (systems thinking + shared impact)

• Teacher line (no student response required): “Nature affects all of us.”
• Optional: “What changed for everyone?” (one word: “all pigs cleaned”)

Barn card (stewardship / protection)

• “We protect to keep them ___.” (safe / comfortable / healthy)

Shut Door card (protection vs control / ethics)

• “Protection or control?” (one word)

Lightning card (disruption / uncertainty)

• Teacher line: “Unexpected things happen.”
• Optional: “What’s our next plan?” (one phrase)

Lightning Rod (preparedness / responsibility)

• “We prepare so ___.” (reduce harm / stay safe)

B) Shared Nature Meter quick checks (only when a token moves)

(No discussion — just an awareness habit.)

• When removing a Water Drop: “Shared water goes down.”
• When adding a Care Leaf: “Care goes up.”

Optional one-liner:

• “Is this choice helping nature or using resources?” (student points to water/care tokens)

To avoid interrupting gameplay:

• Use only one micro-cue per relevant card (3–5 seconds).
• Skip follow-ups during play; keep depth for debrief.
• If a table is getting distracted, use only token moves (silent) and talk later.

Over-competitiveness / teasing

• Set one rule: No ‘attack language’. Replace with nature language:

“I’m changing the habitat situation” instead of “I’m ruining you.”

• Give “Leaf Tokens” for kind play, not for winning.

Confusion about ‘dirty = good’

• Make it very clear:

“In this story, ‘muddy’ means comfortable in nature—not ‘unclean’ in a negative way.”

Students feel upset when their piglets get cleaned

• Normalize emotions: “It’s okay to feel disappointed.”
• Add a calming script: “What’s your next plan?”

Fast players dominate

• Rotate roles (Narrator, Fair Play Helper, Organizer) to keep everyone involved.

Moral oversimplification (washing is always bad)

• Important teachers note:

“In real life, cleaning can be caring (health), but sometimes humans also control nature too much. Our job is to think about context and impact.”

Classroom management tip:

• Put students in groups of mixed ages/strengths if possible (supports connectedness and peer learning.

Beginners (6-7 years old): (focus: basic valuing nature + simple emotional safety):

Skill goal: Recognize habitat needs + understand “shared water” at a basic level.

During play (micro-cues only, no discussion):

• Use only 2 prompts consistently:

• Mud → “Mud helps because ___.”
• Washing/Rain → “Need or waste?” (one word)
• Token actions are automatic:

• Washing/Rain → remove 1 Water Drop
• Mud/Barn/Rod + 1 short stewardship sentence → add 1 Care Leaf

Expected evidence (simple, observable):

• Each student gives one habitat reason at least once.
• Each student uses one emotion word once in debrief (happy/annoyed/proud).

Advanced learners (8-9 years old): (focus: responsibility + common good + cause–effect thinking):

Skill goal: Connect choices to consequences and begin “common good” thinking.

During play (same micro-cues + 1 team check moment):

• Keep the same prompts as Beginners.
• Add one short “shared impact” check when Water Drops get low (once per game):
• “Team check: how can we play strongly with less water use?”

Expected evidence:

• Students can say one cause–effect sentence in debrief:
• “When we washed a lot, the water drops went down.”
• Students suggest one water-saving action at school/home.

Experts (9–10 years old): (focus: values-in-action + nuance + ethical reasoning):

Skill goal: Handle complexity: protection vs control, necessary vs waste, trade-offs.

During play (still brief, still not disruptive):

• Add two higher-level micro-cues when the relevant card appears:

• Shut Door → “Protection or control?” (one word)
• Lightning Rod → “We prepare so ___.”
• Introduce a values dilemma only in debrief, not during play:
• “You wanted to win fast, but it cost many Water Drops. What would you choose next time and why?”

Expected evidence:

• Students can justify one decision with a value-based reason:
• “I think washing is ‘need’ here because…”
• Students can name one real-life “stewardship” action beyond water:
• waste reduction, caring for plants, protecting animals, keeping shared spaces clean)

• When did you feel you were “thinking about nature” during the game?
• What did you notice about water as a shared resource? Was it easy to “spend” the Water Drops?
• How does our thinking change when mud is seen as habitat/comfort and not “dirt”?
• What is one way mud helps a pig in real life (cooling, sun protection, insect protection)?
• When did you decide something was “need” vs “waste”? What helped you decide?
• What did the Rain card teach you about how nature can affect everyone at the same time?
• What did the Barn card make you think of in real life (shelter, protection, caring for living things)?
• When you used (or saw) the Shut Door card, did it feel more like protection or control? Why?
• What did Lightning and the Lightning Rod remind you of (unexpected events and being prepared)?
• How did one person’s choices affect the whole group (the Shared Nature Meter and the other players)?
• How did you feel when your pig got cleaned or when rain reset the pigs (excited, annoyed, frustrated, proud, surprised)?
• What did you do (or what could you do next time) to calm your body and keep playing kindly?
• Did you notice anyone using respectful language or fair play when things got competitive? What did they say/do?
• If you played again, what would you do differently to care more for the common good (shared water + care actions)?
• If nature had a “voice,” what would it tell us about our choices today?
• What small action can we take this week at school for nature (water/waste/plants/animals)?
• Closing prompt (teacher):Today we practiced playing to win and caring for our shared home.