This Friday is International Mud Day! This celebration began with groups of children in Nepal and Australia participating in fun filled day of playing in the mud. Bishnu Bhatta and Gillian McAuliffe, who are part of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children (a committee within the World Forum Foundation), planned the day celebrating mud to bring children closer to their natural surroundings and “make them foresee the importance as well as joy of nature, and an attempt to make a better world tomorrow” (Bhatta).
We hope you all get the chance to go outside this Friday to make some mud pies, mud art, mud bricks, and anything else muddy to celebrate International Mud Day.
Remember, mud play is:
- Science (investigating, observing…)
- Math (measuring, pattern making…)
- Social studies (building, teamwork…)
- Language (discussing, describing…)
- Social/emotional (interacting, working together…)
- Art (making pies, drawing…)
- Learning! (After all, play is learning!)
And if you would like further proof of the benefits of mud play: Studies show that dirt contains a bacteria that increases serotonin in our brains, making us feel happy and relaxed (Than).
If you enjoy outdoor play in natural playscapes, check out the categories “Natural Play” and “Science and Nature.”
Sources:
Than, Ker. “Depressed? Go Play in the Dirt.” Live Science. 2007.
