On Monday 29 June 2015, the outdoor spaces of John Mewburn Child Care Centre in Malabar were be transformed into a mud playground as the children and educators joined children around the world to celebrate International Mud Day.
International Mud Day honours the joy that children experience when they connect with nature.
From humble beginnings three years ago with a small group of 58 orphaned children living in Nepal, this celebration of nature, the environment and all things muddy is now marked around the world.
John Mewburn Child Care Centre had a mud slide, mud pie making and other muddy activities as the children revel in getting really, really muddy.
Manager, Education and Care at Gowrie NSW, Rose Todd said that Mud Day is an essential part of the John Mewburn philosophy.
‘A key part of the teaching philosophy at John Mewburn is our belief that children have a natural sense of wonder and belonging to the natural environment,’ Ms Todd said. ‘On Mud Day we get to witness the simple joy of a child jumping in a mud puddle or sliding on a mud slide. 
Multiple research studies have shown that outdoor play such as mud play helps to improve vision, resilience to disease, vitamin D production, attention span, physical fitness, coordination and academic performance.
More information on International Mud Day is available at online http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/working-groups/nature/international-mud-day/ John Mewburn celebrates International Mud Day
