Fun Mud Day brings spirited fun for young children

Eastern’s Child and Family Development Resource Center (CFDRC) hosted preschool children from its program for the annual “Fun Mud Day.” The event, coordinated by education Professor Darren Robert and CFDRC Director Niloufar Rezai, is an opportunity for young children to navigate makeshift obstacle courses with high spirits and mediated risk. 

“‘Fun Mud Day’s’ activities aren’t about competition; they’re about having fun and encouraging the little ones to help and support each other,” said Robert. “Kids don't get enough chances to get muddy and leafy and wet in a safe environment.  

“We're giving them calculated risks, such as supervising them when they’re walking across a tall bridge, so that they stay safe and have fun.” 

“Pushing the children toward their capacity is so important, rather than having them just stay immobile,” added Rezai. “This is giving them a little challenge; Dr. Robert has been working with them all semester, so they know what they're capable of.” 

Twenty Eastern students assisted in supervising the kids at their stations, with the volunteers being a mixture of early childhood education and physical education (PE) majors. Senior PE major Gianna Scoppetto explained that “Fun Mud Day” is an outlet for children who don’t get to be outside much.

“I'm student-teaching right now, but I took a day off just to come here because this is favorite day of the year,” said Scoppetto. “The kids don't have PE for the full year, so it's fun to let them get outside and get muddy.” 

Junior PE major and first-time volunteer Digby Ludlow explained that the event was a good opportunity for the student workers to get experience mediating with special-needs students. 

“I think it's really good for us as volunteers to get involved in the community,” said Ludlow. “It's a great experience for us as teachers to work with different groups of kids.” 

Bianca, a parent of one of the children, said that experience helps children to get out of their comfort zones, especially with new sensory challenges such as getting their feet wet and being high up in the air. 

“These kinds of activities make children think about things differently, especially if they've never done something like this,” she said. “It exposes them to a lot of different feelings, sensations, and emotions that they don’t get to experience all the time.” 

Senior PE major Mike Glass explained that he’s currently doing an independent study at the preschool; he’s helped the kids do activities involving traversing obstacles that led up to the day’s events. 

“I think it's important to get kids outside and exercise and be active in ways that aren't traditional,” said Glass.

“Everyone is doing something that they enjoy today that they don't get the chance to do on an everyday basis, like going down a water slide and climbing through leaves. It's a new, fun way to get exercise and physical activity for these young kids.”