Mud in the winter

I have taken my son to the Nerima Children's Forest (better known as Kodomonomori) several times in the warmer months of the year.  But today we decided to see what it was like in the winter.  Truth be told, we are having an extremely mild winter.  In fact, I'm very nervous about next summer's bug population because it has been so warm!  So, it wasn't like we were heading out into the tundra for a bit of play time.  Today reached a high of 12°C/54°F.  So, we put on some layers and headed out the door.

My son, knowing the destination, was beside himself with joy.  He LOVES going to the mud park.  As soon as I parked my bike, my son hopped off and ran into the park.  He wanted to build something.  The staff gave him a box with hammers, saws, nails, and so forth.  He beat foot over to the construction area and went to town.  Will a little assistance from me with hammering, he built a bird house.

He was so proud of his birdhouse.  He wanted to put it to good use.  So, he took it over to a staff member.  They quickly agreed to put it up in a tree.  My son selected the tree and climbed right up (under my supervision) while the staff person grabbed some rope.  It made his heart soar to see his creation being put up for use in the tree.

As this was going on, it occurred to me that this was a place of "yes."  The staff listened to the kids and helped them to play and do things on their terms.  I've always heard this about mud parks, but to see it in action was great.

Up next, my son wanted to get into the mud.  With a look of determination, he went exploring.  The previous weekend, some elementary school children had dug huge holes in the packed mud.  It was almost as if the deep holes were calling his name.  Soon, he determined that he needed to dig a tunnel between two of the holes.  His mind was set.

He got to task and even roped in a couple other people into helping him.  For hours he dug and dug.  He demonstrated determination and focus that was admirable.  And, boy, did he get dirty!  But, of course, isn't that the point.

The mud park is a special place in winter.  It is a different version of magic for both kids and their parents.  There is so much creativity and space to explore and just be.  No rules of confinement or restrictions.  Just good old fashioned fun.

He eventually completed the tunnel.  The look of success and joy on his face was priceless.

He then spent the next half hour crawling through it again and again.  He invited lots of other kids to join in the joy.  Watching him made me so happy that we braved the mud and decided to get dirty.