“Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water bugs, tadpoles, frogs , mud, turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb. Brooks to wade. water lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pinecones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets. Any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of education” — Luther Burbank.
Today is the first international celebration of Mud Day! The very first 'Mud Day' was started in Nepal and Australia, by Bishnu Bhatta and Gillian McAuliffe, in an effort to get children closer to nature.
You already know my kids play in dirt if you read this post. Kids are meant to get dirty! There's no way we'll be getting as filthy as the children in these photos, but a little dirt is perfectly fine with me.
There are many other parents, teachers and experts who think that letting your children play in the dirt is a good thing! Here are some dirty, grimy must-read posts about all things mud:
Hands On: as we grow has 30+ dirty and muddy activities that you'll want to check out.
Teach Preschool shows you how to make Rainbow Mud Art.
Let the Children Play has some great photos and quotes about mud play.
Some interesting news articles:
"Dirt Is Good" For Kids, Expert Insists"
Playing In The Dirt Could Make Kids Smarter
Northwestern University study: Dirt's good for kids
Kids get a chance to play in the dirt
