Getting muddy is not a bad thing for children – especially on International Mud Day!
As parents our instinct is often to discourage our children from being too messy or getting mud on their clothes, hands and faces. But messy play is a really important activity which helps children develop lots of skills.
International Mud Day is becoming more and more popular, and it was celebrated around the world on 29th June this year. It’s quite amazing what children can learn and how they can develop their play skills using simple items such as cardboard boxes and being outdoors in the mud. While it sounds messy (and yes, it can be!), there are so many benefits when children are allowed to play outdoors in a muddy patch.
Dressing your child in the right clothing is advisable, of course, to save on the washing machine use and to make sure that the children don’t get cold and wet. Wellington boots are always a good idea, as is an all-in-one splash suit, but an old coat and old pair of trousers will do just as well.
Mud mixed with water can create a good mixture to make marks with and practise early writing skills; you could even encourage your child to use a twig from the garden as a pen, dipping it in the mud mixture. They can use paper, old cardboard or even a concrete path to show off all their mark-making skills, and it all helps them when they learn how to write later on.
Such simple play creates endless opportunities for language and discussion and is a truly lovely way for adults to spend quality time with their children.
Check out our Mud Kitchens here – after all, who doesn’t love a mud pie?