Nursery is absolutely obsessed with mud and mess

[ineedaninstructionmanuel]

AIBU to think there's a limit between encouraging children to play freely and encouraging them to make a mess?

I don't mind a bit of mud but today he is absolutely encrusted in it. He was apparently rolling in a puddle. His jacket is soaking wet and completely filthy. I don't mind a bit of natural mess (most of his nursery clothes are paint stained handmedowns anyway) but this is over the top.

Since he started they have started to send out more and more tweets about creativity and mess being linked. They also tweeted this week a photo of one of the play areas which was totally trashed- lentils and beans poured on the floor, sticks everywhere, things trodden on and mashed in.

My older DS went there and they were much more sensible and realistic... AIBU to have a word?

No, it was in combination with the mud. I thought bloody hell, they're letting them run wild.

I’d love to roll in s puddle 😔

As a nursery practitioner I say the muddy puddle thing is great - if they have wellies, waterproofs, change of clothes (and preferably a clean, dry coat!)
Getting muddy and enjoying the outdoors have hundreds of benefits.

The lentil thing, not so much. That sounds more chaos and destruction than creativity. There are boundaries. A good practitioner can tell when a child is experimenting with ideas and when they just want to dump the lentils on the floor so that no-one else can play.

Your nursery sound like they’ve heard about great research, taken the idea and run away with it without actually understanding it properly...

My walking group stopped for a five minute gander the other week because we were entranced with two little ones stamping in puddles. I love to see kids playing in mud and water. To my mind Mother Nature provides fallen leaves, snow, muddy puddles , beaches and waves purely as free stuff for kids to enjoy

Choose a different nursery
You have to embrace the meas

I have a gifted child and he loved messy play. He naturally went into puddles and got covered. Most of the clothes can be washed and be dried by next morning, tbh, especially fluffy jackets/coats.

We do forest School at our nursery and the children do get muddy as they are allowed to roll down the hills, but they wear all in one waterproofs.
babyspider we also do food play but the children eat it afterwards for their snack.

Sitting in puddles up to their waist. Is there a life saver on duty. This is just so out of order. They sounds nuts. I'd have a word with the person in charge and say you're not happy.

DS spends a large proportion of his life in mud... he went facefirst into a puddle the other day 🙄 I advise either a puddle suit (which are cheap on eBay) or a pair of waterproof dungaree-type overalls (again, from eBay) under a waterproof jacket. We have the latter combo and it generally seems to survive his antics.

Seeing him playing in the mud makes me very happy as, like all puppies, he is better behaved after a good run! But the right clothing definitely helps. As does having a change available - it's not good if the nursery are letting the children's spare clothes also get soaked, and I wouldn't be too happy if that was the case.

We have overalls by a brand called CeLaVie, and they seem pretty indestructible so far, and not a fabric that absorbs water - they're closer to oilskin-type fabric than goretex. I would recommend them.

I have worked in private nurseries for years and messy play is not a new thing. Put in ( old ) plenty of changes of clothes and let your child enjoy theirselves and try to relax a little about the mess

Sounds the perfect nursery!

yabu
mud is great!
just bring a change of clothes & slippers to change into.

We have overalls by a brand called CeLaVie, and they seem pretty indestructible so far, and not a fabric that absorbs water - they're closer to oilskin-type fabric than goretex. I would recommend them.

Will look them up, thank you.

I didn't know messy play was a thing until I found half a bowl of cornflakes in DS nappy. The itching must have been driving him mad.

Poor boy!

mud kitchens are all the rage... thank God we missed that trend.

mind you one would assume there is a crater large enough to lose half the school in given the amount of mud that comes home on 9 yr old Ds

My children would have loved this. Send them in in waterproofs or if you dont like it get a new nursury. Out of interest how are you DC enjoying it?

OMD is this a thing now?!!

and why the fuck would they be playing with beans and lentils? That's someone's meal FFS!! Unless the nursery are doing a thing of checking the dates but even so.....it goes totally against being careful not to waste food at home!

lol at the poster who said "how creative do you need to be to roll in a puddle"

YANBU
I am all for messy play sometimes, but part of teching is also teaching children not to make a mess. So for ex when they paint, they learn about colours, textures etc BUT they should also be taught to try not to stain clothes, face etc.
And don't get me started on meals. Apparently children, who by definition are learning to use cutlery and don't have the best coordination, are supposed to eat with no napkin. I mean, as an adult who can eat properly I am given one with a meal, a coffee, etc (and I would ask for one if not). But no, small children should do without.

Umm, you can teach children not to make mess when they are older, it's nursery, right? It's all about having fun and getting messy at this stage?

It's fine in theory, but I know my heart would sink at yet another set of clothes to wash...

Also mine were actively encouraged to jump in puddles. But only when they were wellied up.

I think there are some interesting theories about children who don't like messy play and being 'fussy' selective eaters. One of the 'treatments ' with food refusers is to encourage messy play. It's not just Ofsted (and I know it's a pain as a parent) but it is healthy and positive for children to feel comfortable with natural elements - water, sand, paint, mud etc etc.

It seems to be the new thing along with mud kitchens. I am all for children being outside but uncontrolled puddle rolling is ridiculous I agree with you they shouldn't allow jackets to get filthy not everychild has endless jackets for every day, I would have a word see if they will provide all in one suits bet they will change direction if parents start complaining.

I'm with you op. There are ways of encouraging creativity and exploring the outdoors without being soaked through and filthy or making a mess with food. I'm not precious about clothes either but it isn't that easy to get a thick winter coat washed and dried after nursery ready to go the next day. Agree puddle suit and wellies seems appropriate for that sort of activity.

Yes Mud Kitchens are the Early Years 'essential' du jour. Next year it will be something else in fashion and mud kitchens will be out!