In the Classroom: The Bumblebees
written by Bumblebee Lead teacher Nicole Williams
The Joy of Mud
As a kid growing up, I was taught never to play in mud. It was described as being dirty, nasty, and messy. Needless to say that when I heard about International Mud Day, I was less than thrilled. I had an image of mud flying everywhere, getting into the children’s hair and on their clothes, and making a HUGE mess!
I asked myself, are we just playing in the mud or is there a reason for us to get messy? Through some quick research, I learned that on Mud Day children connect with friends around the globe and explore the wonders of nature through mud play. While a wonderful cause, I was still not excited.
On Mud Day, we walked with the children around to the black top. Before we could reach PIC's big iron gate, I heard the laughter and screams of joy coming from the yard. When we circled the corner, I witnessed the children literally having the times of their lives. It was awesome to see!
The Bumblebees were so very excited. Most of them ran right for the mud without any hesitation. One of our Bees, Kieran, belly flopped right into the mud. He jumped right back up and went again. Elena mushed the mud in between her hands, letting the mud ooze down. At that moment, I thought to myself; “I cannot believe I missed out on this type of fun as a kid.”
Then I thought about the learning that was taking place. One of the older Bees, Uwais, was measuring the mud with a measuring cup and dumping it into a bucket. Max was transferring mud from one hand to the other. After seeing the kids have so much fun, I knew I had to join. I stepped out of my comfort zone and allowed myself to be free!
I was pleasantly surprised at what I learned and witnessed on Mud Day. I saw splashing, rolling, squishing, sliding, making mud pies, and much more. I saw learning take place at the messiest of times. Children are explorers and they love to learn new things.
In the Bumblebee classroom, we have decided to play in the mud more often. At home, parents can gather some mud in a bucket, add shovels, spoons, rakes, measuring cups, put on swim suits, and get down and dirty. But most importantly have fun!