The Many Benefits of Mud Play

"We can't blame children for occupying themselves with Facebook rather than playing in the mud. Our society doesn't put a priority on connecting with nature. In fact too often we tell them it's dirty and dangerous."     

David Suzuki

 

Mud play is an incredibly rich learning activity that many children enjoy. Although it can make some educators and families squeamish due to the potential mess, playing with dirt and mud offer so many learning benefits for children. Spending time outdoors exploring many natural elements helps children recognize that there is no such thing as bad surroundings or weather. There is beauty and wonder to be found in every aspect of nature. Sometimes in early childhood education we need to help our families and school community understand the authentic learning that can happen when children play with sensory materials like water and mud outdoors. Demonstrating the meaningful math and literacy connections that emerge in this type of play can build support for outdoor exploration and learning. Sharing this through regular communication including documentation can be incredibly helpful in cultivating positive partnerships and support for messy play outdoors.

There are many benefits for children playing in the mud: 

1. Playing with natural materials like mud and water help children build a relationship with nature. Fresh air and exploration of natural elements encourage creativity and exploration. Children are often drawn to messy sensory materials and enjoy the freedom that mud play provides. As children spend time in nature they will appreciate its beauty and wonder, hopefully encouraging them to grow into eco-warriors who will work to sustain and protect the natural environment. 

2. Mud play encourages problem-solving and innovation. When children work together to create mud cakes and other delicacies in the outdoor kitchen they use their imagination to transform the materials into dramatic play props. It's amazing to watch children as they explain their recipes, adding bits of dirt and weeds to a pot and stirring an imaginary stew or soup. Flower petals and grass become the decorations for a fancy cake.

3. Children explore many math concepts authentically through mud play. As children scoop and pour water and dirt using a variety of tools (e.g., spoons, cups, bowls, muffin tins) they quantify their work. They use math language to describe what they are doing (e.g., The cup is heavy with mud. My bowl is half full.). Educators who play alongside children can 'think aloud' and help mathematize what they see happening and advance the play. 

4. Mud play bolsters children's oral communication. As children work together in their play they describe their actions to one another. They share their thinking as they engage in imaginative and dramatic play, expressing their thoughts orally. Children work together cooperatively in play situations and these incorporate subject specific vocabulary and directions. Children can also use rich language to describe what they see and feel (e.g., The mud is sticky/gooey/crumbly/caked.)

5. Playing with dirt and mud strengthens children's fine and gross motor skills. The consistency of mud can be a challenging medium for children to use. When it is thin and runny it is quick to scoop and pour. As it hardens and thickens it becomes heavy and awkward. Children use their hand and arm muscles to manipulate it in different ways. Thicker mud can be formed using the hands in a fashion similar to clay or play dough, working fine motor muscles.

6. Mud play appeals to sensory learners and can be a calming and enjoyable activity for many. Sunlight, fresh air and exploring the elements help children connect to their surroundings and encourage big body exploration that is not always available indoors. Many children may be discouraged from playing in the mud at home and the act of doing so at school may be freeing for them. It is also a familiar activity that can be soothing for children who are still adjusting to the school setting.

7. Research shows that playing in the dirt can strengthen children's health and immunity. Exposure to microorganisms in the earth can strengthen our immune response and help our bodies adapt more efficiently to our surroundings.

Looking for a book to read with children to support their work with mud? You might be interested in my new book Muddy Math: See, Think and Wonder available now through Amazon!