June 29th is International Mud Day. Who knew there was such a thing? It's sponsored by the World Forum Foundation whose mission is “to promote an on-going global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings.” International Mud Day is one of the ideas from the group.
I found out about International Mud Day because the Nature Center at a local park had an International Mud Day Eve event. We enjoyed an “evening of mud pies, mud sculpture and mud painting.” My boys had fun pretending they were warriors or something. The mud certainly brought out their primal instincts!
Reading about International Mud Day made me think about my boys' experience with mud, and I realized that I don't think they have ever made a mud pie. When I was young, that was the highlight of summer. I would mix up my mud cake (I don't like pie very much, so I would make cakes instead), decorate it with wild strawberries and clover, then set it in the sun to “bake.”
Why have my kids had such a different experience with mud? Is it because we have nice landscaped lawns and we don't allow our kids to dig up the grass to get to the dirt? Can we blame video and computer games that keep them indoors all summer? Should I be outside making mud pies with them? It's probably a combination of all of the above. And it is definitely something I need to remedy.
I found a free ebook that shows you how to plan a “mud kitchen”. I love the concept even though it's geared toward kids who are a little younger. The author has an online store where you can purchase many mud pie products, but I don't think you need to buy anything–just look in your recycling bin or kitchen cabinets for old plastic containers, used pie plates, plastic spoons, funnels or any other tools you can use in your mud kitchen.
So, happy International Mud Day! Make sure you squish some mud between your toes today!
Yours in Scouting,
Sherry
P.S. If you enjoyed hearing about International Mud Day, sign up below for more cool Cub Scout ideas and projects!
