Developmental Benefits of Letting Your Kids Play in the Mud

I’ve always been the kind of mom that never thought twice about letting my kids climb in trees, play in the mud or run around barefoot in nature.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a household that let us kiddos run wild and get into muddy mischief. I know the general understanding of mud = bad has been greatly challenged in recent years, and letting tots get all muddy is no longer the taboo it once was. But since mud play makes up a LARGE portion of my kids outdoor time, I thought I would share some of the benefits of this free, natural and plentiful learning and playing tool!

Playing in the Mud Boosts Emotional Development

Playing in the mud just makes kids happy. Heck, they love playing in the mud so much that they love WATCHING other kids play in the mud. Don’t believe me? Just head over to YouTube and check out the video after video of toy review stations featuring mudplay. My kids favorite are videos by Mommy Etc. and My Little Pony dolls. Check out one of their favorite videos below:

Kid get happy getting ready to play in the mud (I always build them up for it, having them get dressed into “muddy clothes” and pick out their toys to take into the mud), they love the actual play time, and they STAY happy long after their muddy play time. It’s actually quite magical, haha. Or maybe it’s science? Recent scientific studies have connected the happy, relaxed and calm moods after mud play to the dirt itself. Dirt contains microscopic bacteria called Mycobacterium Vaccae, and this bacteria increases the serotonin in our brains. Kind of makes you want to jump right in there and join them, huh?

Playing in the Mud Encourages Creativity

Mud offers endless opportunities for creative expression. From splish splashy mud puddles to oozing mud plopping through your fingers, to thick mud clots perfect for sculptures and pies, there is no limit to the things you kids can and will come up with in mud play. Throw in some toys (sticks, rocks or dolls and toy trucks) and you will be amazed and what your kids dream up. Honestly, the times I’ve joined in the muddy fun, I couldn’t even keep up with the onslaught of creativity and imagination flying around!

Playing in the Mud Helps Develop Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Think of the variety of tasks playing in the mud offers children. Grasping, molding, adding small pebbles to a mud pie, digging in mud with utensils, taking toys for a mud bath and then having to clean them off, adding water and then adding more soil to thicken the mud to the desired consistency… this all requires a good combination of fine and gross motor skills. You don’t even have to set out tasks for your kids to conquer.. they will do it all on their own!

Playing in the Mud Inspires a Love of Nature

What better way to connect with nature than to get down and dirty and roll around its most basic element? It is so very vital in today’s world for children to get outdoors to reconnect with nature. With nature-deficit disorder on the rise, mud play creates memories and a relationship with nature that will last a lifetime. This is such a simple way to inspire a connection to care for our environment and planet in the future.

Playing in the Mud Builds Stronger Immune Systems

Think about the kids you know who get really dirty and how often they get sick. Now think about the kids who are constantly applying antibacterial potions and never going outside. It’s not just a casual observation anymore.. science agrees that you will find it is the kids who are allowed to get dirty who are healthier! Scientific studies show the same microscopic bacteria in the dirt that can make you happier have also proven beneficial to the immune system. So much so that you can buy soil based organism PILLS to take if you don’t have time to tromp around with ponies in the mud around your 9 to 5!

Do you let your kids play in the mud? Would you play in the mud yourself? Share in the comments below!