Playing in the Mud

The benefits of getting dirty:

Kids and dirt, have long been a perfect match. The connection could almost be described as instinctual. Regardless of differences in culture, language, and ethnicity, regardless of whether a child is born on a small farm or a sprawling metropolis, one thing remains constant: children absolutely love playing in mud.

Promotes Creativity: Promotes creative expression, for example, children can do mud sculptures, mud pictures and designs, and mud body painting.

Creative Examples: Mud painting, mud face painting, barefoot walk, mud splatter painting, mud texture table, dirt shirts, mud bricks.

The Problem Solving Skills: Encourages cooperative play, let's children communicate, share, discuss and negotiate. They can always play in groups and by themselves. For example, mud kitchens, how to divide tasks, plan and share space. These are all problem solving activities that are great for kids.

The Fine, Gross Motor and Physical Benefits: Using the previous mud kitchen example, children playing in high sensory environment that involve mud can work on their fine and gross motor skills. Taking in the variety of tasks the mud kitchen offers children. Weighing, measuring and adding small loose parts to a mud pie with utensils all require fine motor skills.

Mixing mud flour in a large saucepan, transporting heavy buckets and reaching up high for a hanging pot all require gross motor skills.

The Social and Emotional and Cognitive Development: Most children act out whatever they are learning. Listening and taking turns are great social ad emotional skill to practice, especially in a environment that involves mud. It also allows children to be outdoors and re-connect with nature. t's an open-ended activity that promotes cognitive development.

The Sensory Benefits: Research shows that sensory play builds nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, which lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks. Touching, feeling, with fingers, hands, feet or toes can be very beneficial for children. Asking children questions like: What is happening to you? Are you loving it? Or, is this a difficult thing to do? Are questions that will promote other cognitive skills as well.

The examples are endless, and the point is undeniably clear. Children who have the opportunity to play in mud are re-enacting a process of learning and discovery, and in doing so they are improving their physical and mental capacity. As adults and educators it is incumbent on us to provide as many opportunities as possible for children in our care to have the opportunity to self-explore and self teach in any environment.

Resources:

https://handsonaswegrow.com/10-benefits-mud-play/

http://lcrwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/FINAL-235-Moore.pdf