Mulch is Very Bad

Interesting story today on a study that found reasons why some day care centers don't give their kids much time outdoors. Here's an example:

"Then there was the mulch factor. "The staff members who participated in the groups were really concerned about mulch in the play area,' said lead author Dr. Kristen Copeland. 'Many said that the kids eat the mulch, or use it as weapons, or it gets caught in their shoes. It also requires constant upkeep. It’s certainly not something that we had anticipated as an issue, but judging by the amount of and intensity of the discussions among child care teachers, it really is.'"

It should be noted that the day care center located on the campus I work at has the kids outdoors all the time, and yes, they get dirty.