It's been Spring for over a month now and the weather has warmed up enough for the kids to go outside and get dirty. I'm talking about the nitty gritty, hands deep, mud diving dirty. Mud pies, mud bath, you name it. This usually happens when the weather is warm after a heavy rainfall. We've been blessed to live in a rural area that has a long dirt driveway leading up to our house. That long dirt driveway can get real muddy, especially after it's rained for several days. Sometimes too muddy.
I love this meme that I always see floating around on social media because it totally fits where we are. Although mud can become a nuisance when it wears out its welcome, its a great play area for kids. Yes I said it! Call me crazy for letting my children play in mud but where else are they going to get those beneficial microbes needed to boost the immune system?
Don't act like you never thought about participating in a Mud Run? I'm still waiting for the day Rob and I can get out and knock this off our bucket list. Now that I'm thinking about it, we should just invite some friends over and turn our driveway into an obstacle course. Just kidding
A couple of weeks ago the kids had their glorious mud baths and honestly, it wasn't that bad of a clean up. I left the towels at the door, had them wipe their feet when they came in and put them straight into the bath tub. Easy Peasy. Except for the bath tub,which really took a beating and poor pregnant me who had to clean it.I know it's not that simple for every one and no I don't always let them play in the mud, the clean up usually is horrendous. Last year when I brought out the kid pools and tried to fill them up with water, the kids filled the driveway and potholes instead. They would rather play in dirt and mud then a pool any day. I guess I've created this mess by letting them do it but hey, it's good for them right?
Playing in the mud stimulates the imagination, teaches appreciation for the environment and exposes you to beneficial microbes that help boost your immune system. There is a functional medicine doctor that I've been following for years now who actually encourages it and even goes as far as to saying that eating dirt is beneficial. Here you can find an article about it, along with a book he wrote titled Eat Dirt by Dr. Josh Axe.
There are so many creative activities you can do with mud. I've even seen some parents create outdoor mud kitchens for their little ones where the kids can really engage in imaginary play and turn their creative thoughts into actions. Don't have a mud kitchen? That's okay. There's so much they can do. You can even drop some small toys in the mud and have your kids search and dig for them. After they've found all of their toys, you can fill a bucket or bowl with water and let them give their toys a bath with soap and water. Although these ideas are great, I'm sure your little ones would just love to get their hands dirty.
Do you ever let your children get real dirty when they play outside?
