Children at Partou nurseries across the country, including Woodlands Harrogate Day Nursery and Pre-school, have marked International Mud Day by rolling up their sleeves for a marathon session of messy, hands-on fun.
International Mud Day began in 2009 following a conversation between educators Gillian McAuliffe from Australia and Bishnu Bhatta from Nepal at the World Forum for Early Childhood Care and Education.
They shared a view that children everywhere, whatever their background, could connect with the Earth and one another through the simple joy of playing in the mud.
This year, Partou picked up the mantle by organising a diverse selection of child-led, outdoor sensory learning activities in numerous nursery locations.
At Woodlands Harrogate, children and team members leapt into an assortment of messy and exciting activities.
Nursery Manager Emma Tordoff said:
“The children took part in house building outside, which involved large scale bricks and diggers, sand and shaving foam.
“The children used their gross motor skills to crawl around the floor to retrieve the bricks and create the cement out of the sand and shaving foam.
"The children also had our wonderful mud kitchen beaming with endless opportunities for learning.”
She added:
“Lots of children were unsure about being muddy, however with trust and support from our amazing staff, they learnt that there was always going to be an opportunity to get changed and have a clean cosy environment to wind down in after all the fun!”
Kirsty Jackson, Partou Co-Managing Director, said:
“The recently published ‘Partou Guide to Play’ highlights the benefits of sensory play which includes messy play.
“It’s a wonderful way to connect with nature while building confidence and creativity.
“It was fantastic to see so many Partou nurseries marking International Mud Day by embracing the joy and learning experiences that exploratory play provides.”
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