Getting muddy for your health
NOS reports the following in a news article: In view of these impressive results, the Lung Foundation is calling for the Finnish model to be adopted in the Netherlands. The premise is that the resilience of a person's immune system is built up mainly during the first thousand days of life.
“When a child is playing and digging around in the forest or a patch of soil, they naturally come into contact with millions of microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria, that live there,” says Hermelijn Smits, Professor of Immunology at Leiden UMC. “This exposure to a great biodiversity of microorganisms teaches the immune system that there are many foreign substances, but that they are not necessarily dangerous.”
Of course, it remains important to assess the risks of playing in the mud. Read IVN's tips here on ensuring safety.
Connecting with the earth
During Mud Day, children are literally in contact with the earth. That is our aim: for them to consciously or unconsciously feel that they are part of it and discover themselves in nature. Hopefully, these experiences will help create a future in which nature is a natural part of life. We want to inspire children and educational and childcare locations to go outside more often. They exercise more outdoors, are more sociable and work on their immune systems. We hope that Mud Day will be a very enjoyable day for all participants and perhaps even a stepping stone towards more nature and outdoor activities.
How does Mud Day work?
You organise Mud Day yourself; registration is not required this year. Whether you are a school, childminder, day-care centre, after-school care organisation or visitor centre, anyone who considers children's play in nature important can join Mud Day and organise something themselves. Below, choose whether you would like the materials for use at school or in childcare, or whether you would prefer to get started at home with the MiniMud holiday activity book.