I had a friend who used hand sanitizer quite a bit. (And this was before COVID.) She had it on her keychain and a bottle in her car. She kept another bottle on her kitchen counter and an extra in her purse. She squirted it in her children’s hands everywhere they went: entering and exiting the grocery store, after petting a dog, after shaking someone’s hand at church. Sadly, her kids always seemed to have a runny nose or something worse that kept them home. She didn’t understand why they were getting sick. But you know why, right?
Yep. While she was killing off all the bad germs, she was also killing off the good ones kids need to build up immunity. When my daughter developed multiple food allergies as a baby and her pediatrician advised me to “let her play in the dirt,” I did a lot of research before sticking her in some mud. I’m sure you’ve heard the health benefits of playing in the dirt before and how being too clean is actually harmful. But maybe you haven’t considered these other 7 benefits of kids playing in the dirt.
1. Playing in the dirt encourages kids to be more creative and imaginative.
When I was little, the neighborhood kids and I played in a huge dirt pile at the end of our street. We pretended our Star Wars figures had landed on a new planet. We dug holes and tunnels and spent hours creating this new world, hoping Darth Vader wouldn’t find it (he did). Some of my best childhood memories come from that pile of dirt.
2. Playing in the dirt helps with the development of all five senses.
Kids are developing their tactile sense playing in the dirt, but they’re also listening to birds in trees or trucks rumbling down the street. They’re stretching their eye muscles to glimpse the grasshopper and they’re smelling the earth and sometimes tasting it too (which is OK and even beneficial, according to Jack Gilbert and Rob Knight’s book, Dirt is Good). Kids are developing an awareness of their surroundings being outdoors.
3. Playing in the dirt provides extra health benefits.
Not only are our kids’ bodies building up immunity against germs, but their bodies are producing vitamin D from the sunlight, which fortifies bones and is important for growth. They’re also stretching their lungs in the fresh air and developing fine and gross motor skills, digging and playing in the dirt.
4. Playing in the dirt kickstarts a love of the outdoors.
One day, when my kids were rolling around in the grass, a huge hawk swooped down, snatched a robin, and carried it to a tree where it hung like wet laundry from the bigger bird’s talons. Questions poured forth. “Why does a bird want to eat another bird?” “Is he gonna eat it or just hold it?” Witnessing this event sparked some fascination with birds of prey and more trips outside in hopes of spotting the hawk again.
5. Playing in the dirt helps kids get more and better sleep.
We all know physical activity is good for the body, but it’s especially beneficial for growing muscles and bones. Burning off energy, playing in the dirt, and inhaling fresh air is also going to wear kids out. Deeper, fuller sleep is your reward. Just think about it: If you’ve ever spent time gardening, you know how exhausted you feel when you’re done. You may not have tracked a mile on your Fitbit, but all the exertion has made you crave a nap.
6. Playing in the dirt can lessen stress and anxiety.
Nature has restorative value. With fewer boundaries and less structure, kids have the freedom to explore and create outdoors. Studies have shown that being in nature reduces stress and for kids coming home from daycare or preschool (all the way up to kids in college), it gives them a chance to decompress in as little as 10 minutes a day.
7. Playing in the dirt and getting messy is fun!
One day, I overheard my daughter’s conversation with a friend while they knelt at the bottom of a playground slide. As they scooped dirt with plastic shovels, sprinkling it across the slide, her friend said, “My mom says if I have dirty knees, it means I had fun.” Blown away by this nugget of wisdom, I decided to adopt it for myself because it is the truth! Playing in the dirt, getting messy, and coming home smelling like the outdoors usually means someone had a good time.
Playing in the dirt, getting messy, and coming home smelling like the outdoors usually means someone had a good time. Click To TweetWhat are some ways your kids have gotten creative playing in the dirt?
