Getting messy for International Mud Day

Kids got a chance to play in the mud as part of an international effort.

From mud piles to mud slides, kids had a chance to get messy on Friday at Rising Oaks Early Learning | John Sweeney in Kitchener.

Children took part in some International Mud Day fun.

“I think the kids love it,” Chase Hyde, Registered Early Childhood Educator at Rising Oaks Early Learning, said to CTV News on Friday. “It’s very sensory-rich so a lot of kids love that sensory aspect.”

Registered Early Childhood Educator Simon Haughton said this helps kids communicate, and “it’s also great for fine motor and gross motor,” adding they get to do it all.

This idea started back in 2009 at the World Forum for Early Childhood Care and Education, where two members of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children from Australia and Nepal discussed the challenges some children face when playing in mud.

They said some families were unable to afford a change of clothing if their kids became dirty. That’s when a fundraiser was launched.

In three weeks, $1,000 was raised to send clothes to Nepal and International Mud Day was born.

While International Mud Day falls on June 29, organizers wanted to celebrate today.