that all children enrolled in its forest schools have a right to “become dirty, stay active and be inspired by nature,” Although the forest schools blazed a trail for messy play, these ideas are now embraced by more traditional day cares and schools as well. Swedish veteran preschool teacher and author Ann Granberg sums it up well when she writes that “too much order and cleanliness hampers play. Children must be allowed to get muddy, get in the water with their clothes on, make a mess and be rowdy; they should be spontaneous, improvise and do things that are not thought-through.”
