Kids And Dirt

Is there an unwritten code that says you need to have your child’s uniform clean for every baseball game? I hope not because I’m getting sick of washing Cru’s pants. He’s had four games in the last two weeks and I’ve washed his uniform all four times. At his last baseball game I almost told him to not get dirty and then I thought, that’s the silliest thing to say to a kid before he takes the field. Sliding into base and diving for the ball are the greatest parts of the game.

This whole experience got me thinking about dirt and why I’m fighting against it. I’ve come to the conclusion that the dirt wins! And I concede for good reason. Dirt is fun, natural and inviting.
This story from the Colorado Springs, Gazette helped get me to this point. I laughed out loud when I first read it! It talks about how a pile of dirt was unloaded in the local park and how the technology ridden kids reacted. Here’s a little excerpt. “I don’t see kids in the park much. An alliance of adult-structured activities and “Guitar Hero” seems to keep them from just going out to play.” but when the dirt arrived things changed. “It was as if one had tipped off the others with a text message reading “OMG, DRT PILE @ PARK. L8R.” And they all converged.” The writer goes on to explain, “Here was a desert, a beach, a mountain, a jumping-off point, not just for the mind but for the feet, and a soft landing, too. The appeal was clear, even to an adult.” He goes on to close with “…some joys never seem to go out of fashion: plunging into a pool in July, running across the playground on the last day of school, giving your big sister a wet willy and, it turns out, enjoying a dirt pile.”  How true!

So now when my kids come in covered in dirt and other unidentified stains I smile and remind myself I have a bulk sized container of stain remover and a handful of happy kids. 
If you have any great snapshots of your kids playing in the dirt send them in to Nature For Kids by email at shawna@natureforkids.net.

Filed under education |