Children who have the opportunity to play in soil are re-enacting a process of learning and discovery that is as old as humanity, and in doing so they are improving their physical and mental capacity.
– E. Britt Moore, Soil Scientist, in “Kids and Soil: A Perfect Match“

Spread the word! June 29 is the 15th Annual International Mud Day! We and our partners at the World Forum for Early Care and Education invite you to join this global celebration of all things mud! Paint with it, create mud pies, squish it between your toes, or go for full mud immersion with a mud slide, mud bath, mud soccer or a treasure hunt in the mud!

Beyond the unbridled joy it brings, the benefits of mud play abound:

Mud makes you happy – Science Daily notes that exposure to Mycobacterium Vaccae, a friendly bacteria found in healthy soil, releases serotonin in the brain, the endorphin used to regulate mood.

Mud is good for the gut – A medical study in Finland found that children in child care who played in yards with soil and vegetation had more types of gut bacteria than children in day cares with yards that had less natural space.

Mud builds the immune system – Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic’s Children Center. Mattke says, “beneficial microbiota helps build immunity in babies and children, and has a role in preventing allergies, asthma, obesity and other noninfectious conditions.”

Mud engages our sensory system – According to the Minnesota Children’s Museum, “Feeling the sensation of cool mud on your hands, listening to it squish through your fingers and inhaling the earthy smell… By engaging their senses in this way, children further develop sensory processing abilities, which are critical for processing information from the world around them.”

Mud is fun – Do your own research: just combine dirt, water, and children and watch the magic unfold. No matter how you get muddy, the World Forum Foundation offers free Mud Day resources to plan your celebration and spread the word, along with the story of how Mud Day began.

Sharing about Mud Day? Use the hashtag #wfmudday so we can follow you!