Mud articles

‘He’s having fun!’: why children should be encouraged to play with mud

"Experts say that as play spaces become more sanitised, children are deprived of a chance to connect with nature."

Interview with Michael Follett, founder and director of Opal (Outdoor Play and Learning), and other settings with mud play provision, discussing the benefits of mud play. The Guardian, 11 October 2024

Mud, glorious mud

Lovely blog post looking at the joys and benefits of mud play, and also sensitively considering the concerns that some practitioners, parents and children might have.
Tales from the Sandpit, 6 June 2022

Why a Muddy Day is a Good Day

Celebrating a school with an ethos that encourages getting outdoors and getting muddy.
Scope for Imagination, 20 January 2020

Mud mud glorious mud

Blog post & lovely muddy video clip asking the questions “What’s so good about mud anyway? Why are kids driven to jump in with all the vim & vigour they can, declaring ‘It’s a Peppa Pig Paradise!’ Why does mud cause so much joy?”
Jenny Sanderson, Badgers Forest School Bristol, 14 March 2019

International Mud Day: A Messy Celebration of the Earth

A quick summary of the origins of Mud Day and a focus on the brilliant Ithaca Children's Garden in New York and their Mud Day celebrations - with short video and super mini-podcast.
The Allegheny Front, 13 July 2018

It’s official: muddy kids learn best

“Outdoor learning for children might be breaking into the mainstream – and having seen the benefits first-hand, I’m thrilled”, says writer Patrick Barkham, discussing his children’s award-winning outdoor nursery and forest school.
The Guardian, 23 October 2017

Mud, marvellous mud!

Benefits of mud play (including physical, learning, nature connection & inclusion), simple mud play ideas, creating a mud kitchen, and the adult's role.
Community Playthings, May 2017

The Benefits of Mud Play

Nice guide for cautious parents considering a mud patch - considers different developmental skills, physical and mental, that mud play supports, health benefits, and how parents can support mud play at home.
Kids Do Gardening (no date)

Children need microbes — not antibiotics — to develop immunity, scientists say

Interview with Marie-Claire Arrieta, co-author of Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving Our Children from an Oversanitized World.
Toronto Star, 20 October 2016

Tips for Playing in the Mud

Play, Teach, Repeat, March 2016

What Makes a Brilliant Mud Kitchen?

Very thorough & informative article observing a mud kitchen indepth - they way it is used by children and how the way it has been set up encourages rich play experiences.
Juliet Robertson, Creative Star Learning, 24 February 2016

“Go play in the mud: Life’s too short to have clean fingernails”

Whether indoors or outdoors, there are always opportunities for our children to get hands on and muddy – it’s an essential part of growing up! For this reason, International Mud Day has become one of our favourite annual celebrations.
Eureka, National Children's Museum, 8 August 2015

Dirt is NOT Dirty – How Playing in the Dirt Benefits the Immune System

The benefits of playing with dirt and why children are drawn to it.
Wake Up World, 2015

Mud, marvellous, mud

The benefits of mud play, simple mud play ideas, mud kitchens and the adults' role.
Community Playthings, 2014

8 Benefits of Playing in the MUD

Adventures at Home with Mum, 2013

Mud is good for you, right?

Adventures at Home with Mum, 2013

Parents put mud pie making top for toddler development

Survey of 1000 parents by Cow & Gate on activities children should do before they are three (the ‘Potty List’).
BBC News, 10 January 2012

Marvellous Mud

by Rusty Keller. A warm, engaging article on the joys of a mud patch.
Childcare Exchange, 2011 (pdf)

Let your kids get dirty

Five ways (of many) that dirt can benefit your children, and tips for doing it.
The Art of Simple, 2010