Have you seen the latest addition to our natural and educational outdoor environment?
We added a Digging Patch/Muddy Exploration for our Emu’s, Kookaburras and Wallabies children to enjoy for many years to come. Mud is amazing, how it can conjure up such polarising feelings, how this simple substance can make us feel disgusted and revolted at the same time so joyous, inspired and alive. Amazing. However, after one week of squishing our toes in mud and covering ourselves from head to toe in mud, we soon realised the importance of gumboots.
There is a growing body of research into why children have an inbuilt need to play in mud. There is evidence suggesting that mud play is a basic biological need, and this type of play has many physical, psychological and emotional benefits for children.
Mud makes you happy:
New research has shown that exposure to friendly soil bacteria (Mycobacterium Vaccae) stimulates the immune system causing the brain to release serotonin, the endorphin used to regulate mood.
Mud increases brain activity:
When children play with mud they use all of their senses, resulting in a highly stimulated and active brain.
Mud play builds creativity:
The open-ended nature of mud play is perfect for the developing brain. There is no end to the creations, ideas and games children will invent. During this type of unstructured, outdoor play, children are not only exercising but are building their ability to form ideas, problem solve, and think critically, as well as be innovative and inventive.
Mud is fun:
For most children, mud play is intrinsically fun, plain and simple. While adults like to understand the full sphere of why mud play is so good for our children, children will just instinctively play in it. Especially when their parents encourage them to. Children don’t need to understand why this type of play is important to their development. What’s important is that we provide opportunities for them to explore freely – and give them permission for children to enjoy the mess.
We invite our Inspired children to bring their favourite pair of gumboots (labelled) to be worn when in the digging patch. Unfortunately, gumboots are not the safest shoes for climbing, riding bikes and developing our gross motor skills in the outdoor environment, therefore we kindly ask you please dress your child in their enclosed footwear and supply a pair of gumboots to be worn in the digging patch only.
