The second in our new series on great projects to get kids outdoors features the Eden Project’s Mud Between Your Toes.
What is it all about?
The Eden Project recognised that children are spending increasingly little time outside connecting with nature. In 2006 the ‘Mud Between Your Toes’ programme was created to try and remedy this situation. It focuses on changing children’s relationship with nature through play and activities to help them understand the natural world and their local communities.
What does it do?
Lots of den-building. Over 100,000 people have built dens at Eden since the project began. Den-building helps unleash children’s creativity, and reinforces skills like team work, collaboration and making friends.
But it’s not just about dens. Through a variety of different initiatives, Mud Between Your Toes engages children with nature by running wild adventure days, nature play community outreach and outdoor pursuits programmes for teenagers. There’s also the Muddy Shorts scheme, offering free days out to support disabled children in accessing nature around Cornwall.
Experimentation is at the heart of Mud Between Your toes, and research is carried out to establish which ideas work best to create inspirational experiences for children.
Where is it happening?
At the Eden Project, Cornwall
Find it online
If you’d like your project to feature in our great projects series, email outdoor.nation@nationaltrust.org.uk or tweet us @outdoor_nation using #naturalchildhood
One Comment
Having been to the Eden Project last month, I was a little confused by the above… I saw “den building” inside a building… However, I saw proper den building at a place called BeWilderwood in Norfolk… Personally, I don’t feel Eden Project is geared properly to attract kids and their interest in nature…