Yes, your mind went there.

You clicked double-quick to see what exactly dirty girls should be doing on June 29th.

Sorry to disappoint, but June 29th is actually International Mud Day. I’m not making that up. Apparently, it’s a thing—though, I don’t recall ever celebrating it before. But, I do believe in having a celebratory outlook on life, so I’m willing to give it a go.

It was originally founded to encourage children to be creative and to enjoy the simple joys of playing in the mud. It’s a day all about play and getting really, really dirty.

So often, we focus on keeping faces and hands wiped clean and clothes neat and orderly. While messes are made, it’s not often that the goal is to get good and dirty.

But isn’t there a simple joy in that? In playing without concern for keeping things neat and clean? It seems like a day devoted to mud play might be a good way to unlock our creative potential and to remember the delight that comes with playing and getting dirty.

So how does one celebrate International Mud Day?

Turn off the screens and get outside. If rainy, find a mud puddle to jump in—or make one, and stomp away.

Make a mud kitchen for kids to hone their mud pie making skills. Use the mud like clay to make sculptures.

Make a muddy obstacle course or set up a muddy play area for kids to enjoy.

Make a mud slip and slide—for kids or adults.

Book a mud wrap or mud facial. Enjoy the pampering benefits of mud with an indulgent spa treatment.

Sign up for a mud run. Even if it doesn’t fall on International Mud Day, we can challenge ourselves to participate in a dirty obstacle course. The Tough Mudder, the Dirty Girl Mud Run, the Warrior Dash, and the Reebok Spartan Race are just a few of the mud runs available to get down and dirty.

International Mud Day is an occasion, but if we’re not comfortable with mud, we can consider other, similar options. Shaving cream is one easy option. We can put some on a table and enjoy playing with it and feeling it in our hands. Whipped cream is another option. Balloons can also be filled up with shaving cream or whipped cream for a messy balloon fight. Another option is to use shaving cream and food coloring to play a messy form of Twister outside.

Another messy way to experiment is with painting. We can paint our rooms or paint a canvas. We can play around with face paint or do a little finger painting. There’s even an interesting canvas where adults can paint purely with their bodies during sex. Experimenting with making a mess is about being joyful and having fun. It’s about exploring, being creative, and enjoying the sensory experience of getting really dirty.

We don’t even have to reserve this sense of joy and fun for a random holiday on a random day in a random month. Why do we wait for someone to write a date on a calendar to indulge in fun activities? Or to host a BBQ? Can’t we celebrate with friends and family at any time during the year?

Maybe we celebrate International Mud Day in April or in September instead. Or maybe we declare Homemade Ice Cream Day and make our own festival atmosphere. Or we decide that every third Tuesday is officially a board game night.

We can create our own family calendar of special, unique, and downright weird days if that’s what it takes for us to remember that life isn’t about punching a clock and paying the bills. It’s really about joy and finding ways to reconnect with it.

So on June 29th, or whenever you damn well please, make a mess. Get dirty. Be creative. Explore the world around you.

Seize the joy that’s waiting for you!

~

Author: Crystal Jackson
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Editor: Leah Sugerman
Copy Editor: Nicole Cameron
Social Editor: Lieselle Davidson