Playing in the mud is a primal joy; it connects us to the earth and each other.
– Gillian McAuliffe, co-founder of International Mud Day, with Bishnu Bhatta

International Mud Day, a time for children, educators and families to celebrate our connections with the natural world, is coming on June 29, 2025. It began as an idea during a World Forum on Early Care and Education gathering and has spread to all corners of the globe. What muddy fun will you be planning this year?

Research has affirmed the benefits of the nature-child connection many of us have experienced first-hand. In her Exchange article, “Under the Gingko Tree: How One Family Child Care Provider Created a Magical, Natural Play Space for her Young Learners,” Diann Gano wrote about all the positive changes that adding more time in nature brought to her program:

“When we made the shift from being outdoors to becoming a Nature Explore Certified Outdoor Classroom…I knew I was taking a risk, introducing nature-based learning as a curriculum. I knew I had to get parents to buy into the learning that was happening….

“It was important to me, as an early childhood educator, that I shared research and documented the children’s learning for their parents. We engaged in daily conversations about brain development, and how natural materials are full of math and science foundations. I sent photos documenting the early learning standards children were meeting…As young children explore and engage in the natural environment, not only do they understand their bodies better, but they learn how to think critically, appropriately assess risk, problem solve, and develop social and emotional competencies.

“I watched as the learning changed. It became more child-led.

“The research I had been reading was playing out before my very eyes. This was the really good stuff. Discipline problems disappeared, friendships became deeper and more caring. Our program was shifting. With that shift came parents who saw the change and spread the word about our family child care and outdoor education. Parents understood the research…Our children are guided by their own curiosity, in the natural environment that is their classroom. The learning is authentic and meaningful to the children because we build on the children’s ideas and knowledge.”