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.