Social urgency

Where and when is there still space to play in nature? To experience how you can skip a stone across the water? What it is like to jump over a ditch or climb a tree? In our current society, discovering the world increasingly takes place virtually: through television, games, tablets and smartphones.

And this is despite the fact that scientific research has shown that playing outdoors in nature greatly stimulates children’s development. With Mud Day, we put playing in nature on the agenda. Because it is educational and fun! So join us and organise your own Mud Day. Getting dirty is allowed on Mud Day!

International Mud Day

The idea for International Mud Day arose at a World Forum meeting in 2009, with the aim of giving children the necessary positive experiences in nature. Gillian McAuliffe from Australia and Bishnu Bhatta from Nepal discussed the challenges children faced when playing in the mud in their own environments. While there was little mud to be found on the arid sandy plains of Perth, Australia, and there was a culture of ‘not wanting to get dirty’, Nepal had more than enough mud, but children did not have enough clothing to get dirty and then wash afterwards. What began as a clothing collection and exchange between children from Nepal and Australia has grown into an international day.

Marc Veekamp (IVN) brought Mud Day to the Netherlands in 2013 and further developed it together with Schuttelaar and partners. Internationally, Mud Day is celebrated every year not only in the Netherlands, but also in Nepal, Australia, Scotland, England, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Mexico, Flanders and the United States. And the number of participants in Mud Day grows every year.

IVN generally follows the date of International Mud Day, which falls on 29 June each year. In 2024, International Mud Day falls on a Saturday, so Mud Day is being moved forward by one day. The upcoming edition of Mud Day in the Netherlands will therefore take place on Friday 28 June 2024.

Step-by-step plan

IVN has prepared a useful step-by-step plan for anyone who wants to get started with Mud Day.

  • Orientation. Does Mud Day appeal to you and would you like to do something with it? Be sure to browse this website thoroughly. In the frequently asked questions, you will find the necessary information about participating, organising, safety and sustainability.
  • Registration. Choose a location, date and time for your event. This can be on Mud Day itself (28 June 2024), but you can also organise something on the surrounding days. Register your event via the Mud Day website.
  • Preparation. After registering, you will receive supporting materials from IVN. We offer extensive handbooks with sample activities for schools, childcare organisations and public locations. We also have schedules, posters and other communication materials available digitally. What exactly you will do is entirely up to you.
  • Implementation and communication. On the day itself, enjoy yourself and get dirty! Be sure to share your best photos with us on social media using #modderdag.

Registration

Registration is important in order to demonstrate the impact of this day nationwide. In addition, after registering you will receive the link to the updated Mud Day materials, such as posters, the coveted Mud Day Diploma, useful checklists and the best Mud Activities for children aged 0–12!

Register for Mud Day 2024 via this form and receive sample activities, schedules, posters and other supporting materials.