A toddler covers himself in mud and tries to hug his grandmother. He chases her around a yard, giggling, while she runs away.
A group of children play cautiously in a mud pit until one covers her arms and legs in mud. Soon, all the children are rolling in the mud.
At Nature Play, a therapy center in Calgary, scenes like these are success stories. The center’s focus is to help children build social skills, develop their speech, or learn to manage their emotions. But dirt and mud are also at the heart of their activity programming. Parents who sign their children up at Nature Play know their children won’t just be learning these skills; they will also be covered in mud.
These days, children play in the dirt less and less. Devon Karchut, the owner of Nature Play, tells TheRockies.Life that mud play has many benefits. “The act of digging builds strong shoulder, wrist, and hand muscles, which will lead to better fine motor development, including printing skills and using scissors.”
Karchut says that children at her center “typically react with sheer delight at the sensations and the sounds of mud, as well as the freedom that comes with doing something they often aren’t allowed to do in other settings.”
Mud play allows children to develop their creativity and imagination. It teaches them about the connection between themselves and the land that they live on. It even releases serotonin, a feel-good chemical in our brains that keeps us happy.
In short, mud is therapeutic. And fun!
The Health Benefits of Dirt
When it comes to mud, there’s often a big difference between adults’ and kids’ wishes. Adults want their children to be clean. They want to do less laundry or think dirt play is gross. Most kids want to get their hands in the dirt. They want to jump in puddles and throw clumps of mud in the air, only to have these clumps land in their hair and faces.
Parents often hesitate to let their kids play in the mud because they think dirt is, well, dirty. We want our children to be healthy. It turns out, though, that our children’s desire to play in the mud is actually in their best interest. Time in the dirt means a healthier child. Dirt contains a rich number of microbes, and this has many benefits for a child’s health. Healthy bacteria help boost children’s immune systems.
Because children have been playing in the dirt less often, they have been getting sicker. Scientists have found that “children exposed to farm environments are less likely to develop asthma, whereas antibiotic use in early life is associated with an increased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes.”
Children’s bodies learn to tell the difference between good and bad bacteria when they come into contact with microbes at a young age. If we want to keep our kids from getting sick, an hour a week of playing in the dirt is better than vaccines and hand-washing.
Mud Play Tips
For parents who have been convinced by the importance of mud play and want to introduce their children to playing in the dirt, Karchut has a few simple tips. “Dress your child in clothing that you are okay with getting dirty.” Hand-me-downs and thrift store clothing are great for this.
Next, you’ll want to plan for when your child is ready to return inside. “Many parents will bring along a blue Ikea bag at pickup time – they stand their child in the bag, strip down their muddy outerwear, lift their child out, and tie up the bag to deal with the mess at home.”
Now go out and get messy; it’s good for you!
