Children, Parents and Teachers Get Dirty in Honor of International Mud Day

Children attending the Child Development Laboratory Center at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley got a little dirty June 28 in honor of International Mud Day. 

Approximately 60 children, along with parents and teachers, joined children all over the world who combined soil with water for a bit of messy fun. This marks the eighth year the center has taken part in the celebration created to connect children with nature by the World Forum Foundation’s Nature Action Collaborative for Children. Mud activities were planned on three playground areas. 

Anna-Marie Mann, program specialist at the center, said kids got extremely messy. 

“They made mud pies, mud sculptures and dug with shovels and looked for things that are hidden in the mud like bones and anything that has to do with construction,” Mann said. “They also painted and had little mud-toss exchanges. The children have a lot of fun. It helped them connect back to nature, be part of nature and understand that it’s OK to get dirty.” 

Believe it or not, the day of fun is actually educational according to E. Britt Moore, author of “Kids and Soil: A Perfect Match.” 

“...take a moment to think about how often a child will adjust the water-to-soil ratio in a mud pie until she finds the perfect balance. What is that if not the scientific process of experimentation, trial and error at work?”