What better way to celebrate nature then to splash around in the MUD?!

International Mud Day, an annual global celebration on June 29, encourages children of all ages to get outside and play in the mud. The intention is to encourage children to connect with the earth and appreciate outdoor play, and it might be a good opportunity for parents to realize as well.

Mud Day can be hosted by anyone, whether it be early childhood professionals, play groups or parents. This year was our first time participating, and we decided to host our own play-date in our backyard with a few close friends!

I’ll admit – it was super fun for the kids to splash in & explore the earth, but it was even more fun to watch them (I should have joined in!). Between mud cake & pie creations, digging holes, jumping into mud puddles, and even a creative slip n’ slide concept, if you will… the imaginative opportunities for these children were both refreshing and seemingly endless. They even chose to incorporate other natural materials into their play, including grass, rocks and twigs.

We must have been out there for a good three or four hours. The truth about the aftermath? My backyard sort of looked like a giant mud monster came to play as well… but, the clean up was totally worth the amazing memories the kids made together. We’ll be celebrating every year, for sure!

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