Get muddy on 5 December for World Soil Day!

Earthwatch Europe
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Learning through Landscapes is encouraging educators, parents and carers to get their children muddy for World Soil Day on the 5th Dec!

Often misinterpreted as the bad guy, mud is sometimes seen as an inconvenience in educational settings. We might stop children running on grass because it’s too mucky, guide children towards the sink when they eagerly show us their mud clad hands, or worry we’ll be burdened with a barrage of parent complaints if we send our little explorers home in dirty clothing.

However, time and time again, research on mud shows that exposure to healthy soil and a diverse range of plants in early childhood can have a profound influence on a child’s growth and development — from boosting the immune system to improving physical and mental health. The years between birth and the start of primary school represent a window for improving life chances and helping all children reach their developmental potential, and getting muddy is a crucial part of this chapter!

They provide 10 activities for getting your hands dirty! Here is the link.

Looking for some fun, festive ways to get outdoors with your pupils as we head into December? Learning through Landscapes have also released seasonal outdoor lesson ideas, perfect for the end of term! Covering a range of different subjects, they're a great way to teach the curriculum outdoors while making the most of the cooler weather.

Let them know if you try them out — tag them in your photos on Instagram using the #EverySchoolOutdoors hashtag! Here is the link for the activities.

Photo credits: Learning through Landscapes Newsletter