Gettin’ down and dirty in your Metro Parks

A young girl covered in mud at the Blendon Woods Natural Play Area
A little mud and fun go a long way for Emily at Blendon Woods. (photo/Stephanie West)

Three kids and their moms enjoyed a magical mud fest at Blendon Woods. After attending a preschool program at the park, Loni Ives-Stone and her two kids met up with a family friend and her daughter and had a blast splashing around and diggin’ in the soggy earth.

Young boy covered in mud at the Blendon Woods Natural Play Area.
Smiling, happy and covered in mud, Elijah looks ready for another dive in the dirt. (photo/Stephanie West)

Park naturalist Stephanie saw the kids frolicking and congratulated Loni and her friend on what a great job they were doing in ‘letting kids be kids.’ “Little did I know that by taking the chance of enjoying my children in the moment, someone else would capture the art of life that I would hold so close to my heart.”

Three preschoolers get muddy in the natural play area at Blendon Woods.
Bring on the mud, bring on the fun! (photo/Stephanie West)

“Seeing that photo of the kids on the cover of the Parkscope brought back all the joy of that day, with the kids giggling and doing belly flops in the mud,” said Stone. “Thank you Metro Parks, for allowing us to explore and giving my kids an experience that so many don’t get to have.”

Bring your kids to a Metro Park to play in the mud in one of the natural play areas and they’ll discover that dirt is not dirty!

Tell us about your favorite day in a Metro Park: mediagroup@metroparks.net