Case study: mud patch in NI + UPDATE 10 years on
Creating and maintaining a muddy digging patch was a priority at this newly-built primary school.
10 years on, what has changed?
Muddy case studies
The real practical work carried out at different settings on a day-to-day basis can be fascinating and inspiring. These examples of work in practice have been gathered from a range of settings and locations in the UK and internationally, and focus on the creation of mud play opportunities, mud kitchens, and Mud Day events.
Outdoor Hub
All Activities
What's New
Art & Creating
mud, clay & sand
pine cones & conkers
leaves, sticks & petals
weaving & wool
wooden discs
campfire craft
sun print
inks, dyes & perfume
pebbles
ice & snow
with tools
Tool use & Traditional Crafts
tool guides
weaving
felting
pewter
hammers
knives
secateurs & saws
palm drills & rotary hand drills
fire craft
Outdoor Play
mud kitchen book
mud kitchen case studies
den building
Other outdoor play ideas
Curriculum Outdoors
numeracy
literacy
science
Inspirations
Festivals & celebrations
Fire, Shelters & Bushcraft
fire
knots & cordage
shelters
Food Outdoors
foraging
campfire cooking
campfire recipes
Nature
Growing & Gardens
Health & Wellbeing
Activity Downloads
Product Information
All Events
Courses, Training and Workshops
Forest School Training
Forest School Leader Training (Level 3)
Forest School Assistant Training (Level 2)
Other Forest School Related Training
Outdoor Learning Courses
CPD
Conferences and Lectures
Annual/Special Days/Weeks/Months
Festivals, Camps and Residentials
Study visit
All Forest School
Benefits of Forest School
Forest School activities & ideas
Forest School articles & blogs
Forest School Day
Forest School guides & books
Forest School history
Forest School kit lists
Forest School principles
Forest School qualifications
Forest School Tools
Forest School training
Forest School videos
FS research & reports
Key Forest School organisations
Muddy Faces & Forest School
What is Forest School?
Why forests & woods?
All Mud
Creepy Crawly Café
FREE Making A Mud Kitchen book
International Mud Day
Introduction
More mud books & mud kitchen guides
Mud activity ideas & free downloads
Mud articles
Mud campaign
Mud Champions!
Mud Day & mud play videos
Mud Day event resources
Mud gallery
Mud on Social Media
Mud play tips
Mud reports & research
Muddy case studies
Shop for mud kit
The importance of soil
All Health & wellbeing
Connecting to nature
Going to the loo & hygiene outside
Hand washing
Health & wellbeing articles
Health & wellbeing books
Health & wellbeing videos
Introduction
Mental health & being outdoors
Pandemic & COVID-19
Ready for any weather
Reasons to be Outside
Research, reports: health, wellbeing
Shop for Health & Wellbeing kit
Sit spots
Useful websites: health, wellbeing
All Fire, foraging & food
Books on fire
Campfire recipes
Dragons Sneeze
Dragons Sneeze stories
Fire guides & articles
Foraging & food articles
Foraging & food useful websites
Foraging books
Foraging guides
Foraging tips, recipes & ideas
Introduction to foraging
Muddy Faces fire guides & activities
Reclaiming snack time:
We hope you'll find these case studies useful & inspiring, and that they may support you to develop even more confidence to get children outdoors and interacting with natural materials wherever you are.
Case Study: mud kitchen & digging patch in an Australian kindergarten
Redevelopment of the whole site was the perfect time to create these excellent mud resources, with donated time & kit.
Read More about Case Study: mud kitchen & digging patch in an Australian kindergarten
Case study: mud play opportunities with an independent childminder
Clothes will get muddy - if parents know what to expect they can bring what is needed.
Read More about Case study: mud play opportunities with an independent childminder
Case study: mud kitchen at Ashton Keynes Preschool
With inspiration & the confidence to ask for support & donations, setting up a mud kitchen can be simple to do.
Read More about Case study: mud kitchen at Ashton Keynes Preschool
Case study: mud kitchen & loose parts in a preschool garden
A mud kitchen combined with access to nature, a veg patch, and plenty of loose parts, greatly enhances opportunities.
Read More about Case study: mud kitchen & loose parts in a preschool garden
Case study: Mud Day celebrations at a primary school in Scotland
The rewards of involving children in planning - plus lessons learned for future mud events.
Read More about Case study: Mud Day celebrations at a primary school in Scotland
Case study: Mud Day celebrations at multiple venues in Bradford
Communication and compromise can lead to a successful mud event bringing together a range of settings.
Read More about Case study: Mud Day celebrations at multiple venues in Bradford
Case study: celebrating Mud Day at a woodland playgroup in Staffordshire
A woodland play setting, with an established mud kitchen, finds other ways to celebrate & suggests some things to think about.
Read More about Case study: celebrating Mud Day at a woodland playgroup in StaffordshireSee also
Mud Champions!
Mud Champions are people who do amazing things in the world of mud play, messy play and natural play outdoors.
Inspirational influencers spreading the word - worker bees quietly, diligently making things better for groups and individuals - inclusive practitioners knocking down barriers - parents, teachers and volunteers giving their time, energy and more - eager beavers who notice what's needed to help people take part.
We want to say thank you! We see you and all that you do.
Read More about Mud Champions!
Mud reports & research
Evidence for the benefits to children of mud play.
These reports & research are, as much as possible, arranged in chronological order, most recent at the top
Mud articles
Articles, blogs & news items, from the UK & internationally, featuring evidence & expert opinion on messy & mud play and its' benefits.
Arranged in chronological order, most recent at the top
Read More about Mud articles