Village Learning Center Goes All-In for International Mud Day

CEDAR SPRINGS — Monday’s heat didn’t slow things down at The Village Learning Center. Instead, it turned into the perfect excuse to celebrate International Mud Day in unforgettable fashion.

With temperatures climbing past 90 degrees, children of all ages rolled, stomped and splashed their way through an afternoon of muddy fun. From crafting mud pies to taking full-on mud baths, the kids embraced the mess and the laughter that came with it.

The mud itself was a true community effort. Mike O’Dowd of O’Dowd Landscaping delivered several buckets of dirt to help get things started.

“I asked Mike O’Dowd if he had any good mud-making dirt and he was here within 30 minutes with several buckets full of dirt,” said owner Jen Ruwersma.

Turning such a large pile of dirt into the perfect puddle required a little extra horsepower. Captain Greg Seely of the Cedar Springs Fire Department came to the rescue with the fire engine to water it all down.

“I didn’t even finish my sentence when calling Greg with Cedar Springs Fire Department when he was jumping on board to turn that dirt into an epic mud puddle,” Ruwersma said.

The cool mud offered a welcome break from the summer heat, keeping children refreshed as they squished and splattered their way through the day.

While the kids were clearly the stars of the show, Ruwersma said the real MVPs may have been the staff members tasked with cleanup afterward.

“The kids here at the village play in the mud on a regular basis, but on International Mud Day, we had to take things to a whole new level,” she said with a laugh.

More than anything, Ruwersma said the day was a reminder of the strength of the Cedar Springs community.

“More heartwarming than all these muddy faces is how quickly our community jumps in to support these kids and my crazy ideas,” she said.

For one hot summer afternoon, mud brought everyone together, and no one seemed to mind getting a little messy.