International Mud Day

Mud. It seems like a nuisance, doesn’t it? As soon as it rains, mud is everywhere, and it literally gets all over everything. There are definitely no benefits this slippery, sticky dirty substance could offer, right? Wrong. And the creators of International Mud Day are out to prove it! After all, mud is quintessential to the outdoors, and the outdoors mean fresh air and exercise, two of the best things for people. And so what if we get a little dirty? Plenty of research has shown that coming into contact with a certain amount of bacteria is good for us, as it helps build up immunity, as opposed to living in a virtually sterile environment, which makes our bodies very vulnerable. Not to mention how many minerals mud can—there’s a reason why people pay hundreds of dollars for mud masks and baths at spas. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get dirty!

History of International Mud Day

The creators of International Mud Day wanted to find a way to help all of the children of the Earth feel closer to each other…and what a better way to do it than through the Earth itself? International Mud Day began in 2009 at a World Forum event, when Gillian McAuliffe from Australia and Bishnu Bhatta from Nepal got together to talk about ways to encourage feelings of community and appreciation for the world around us. The collaboration that followed has inspired educators, children,and families across the globe, from Holland to Nepal to the United States, to celebrate International Mud Day together each year on June 29. Regardless of age, race and religion, covered in mud, we all look the same!

How to celebrate International Mud Day

There are countless ways to celebrate International Mud Day, but all of them have one thing in common: you have to get dirty. This day can be especially fun if you have children, because who likes to get dirty as much as children? One of the most creative and fun activities that would be perfect to do on International Mud Day is making mud sculptures or mud cakes. It’s easy to adjust the consistency of the mud you’re using by simply adding a little more earth or water, so it should be easy to make what you want to make, while enjoying plenty of carefree laughter and quality family time in the process. Yet another easy way to enjoy this day to the fullest is to make a homemade mud pit using a blow-up pool. Not only is this cheap, but it also makes for a truly unique experience. All you have to do once you’ve bought a small blow-up pool is fill it with mud that can easily be filled using a mixture of earth and water that your children can then splash around in. Just make sure that you’re prepared to throw out your their clothes once you peel them off, because there is no way those clothes will ever get clean again.

After all, as American botanist Luther Burbank said,

Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers,water bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb. Brooks to wade…bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pine-cones, rocks to toll, sand, snakes and hornets; any child who has been deprives of these has been deprived of the best part of…education.