Kaua‘i Montessori Preschool celebrates International Mud Day

LIHU‘E — “Hey, look how muddy I got!” Nova yelled to Kaua‘i Montessori Preschool Director Marci Whitman.

Caked in mud from head to toe, about 38 kids filled the playground hopping, crawling and playing in the mud.

Tuesday was International Mud Day, after all.

“Every year kids all over the world are playing in the mud, getting as muddy as they can while having a connection with the earth,” Whitman said. “We talk about the connection with the kids and taking care of our earth. That’s what today’s all about.”

Everybody does Mud Day differently, Whitman said, but here, staff set up an obstacle course for the children to slip and slide through the mud in. This is the location’s first time doing Mud Day, but it’s a common staple at this playground.

“We tend to play in mud a lot anyway,” Whitman said, sporting a custom-made Mud Day T-shirt covered in the dirt of the day.

The Montessori playground has a “mud kitchen” where kids have the opportunity to practice their favorite mud-based dishes. A small garden has mint, rosemary and other plants for the kids to add to their creations.

“When we sent the notice out to the parents, they asked, ‘What’s different about today?’” Whitman said with a laugh. “I told them, ‘You’ll see.’”

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Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.