In many households, dirt is a four letter word, one that must never be uttered and certainly playing in dirt is an urge that must never be acted upon. However there is a secret to share about dirt, a very dirty secret…playing in dirt and mud is healthy for you!…and how appropriate, since every kid loves getting messy in the dirt and mud.
Recent studies report that children who spend the better part of their day playing indoors (rather than outside in the dirt and sunshine), in the company of technology, have a increased risk of obesity, vitamin D deficiency, depression and also attention deficit hyper-activity disorder. In fact, in the last twenty years with the dramatic increase of media entertainment and electronic games, childhood obesity has more than doubled and prescriptions for anti-depressants and ADHD medications in pediatric patients has risen sharply.
But, dirt harbors bacteria, so naturally we worry about our children getting dirty in the mud.
Researchers now recommend playing in the dirt as a way to boost the body’s immune system, that digging in the dirt (and even ingesting a little bit of it) actually can help decrease a child’s risk of allergies and asthma. The basis for this stems from the idea that limiting child’s play to primarily the indoors limits their exposure to natural organisms that build a healthy and strong immune system. That limitation causes a greater risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes in adulthood.
In addition to the physical health benefits, dirt and mud play simply makes a person happier. Many studies indicate that playing outdoors and getting messy decreases stress and anxiety in children. In a lab study using mice, researchers at the University of Bristol and their colleagues at University College London found that exposure to certain friendly bacteria found in soil altered behavior in much the same way man-made chemical ingredients do in anti-depressant drugs. Human cancer patients treated by the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae, also found naturally in soil, reported a better quality of life. Researchers reason that the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae activates the neurons in the brain that contain serotonin, the chemical that makes humans happy. Further studies are currently being conducted.
Sometimes, it seems that kids do know what is best for them, and based on the research, playing in the dirt and mud has so many healthy benefits. Building strong immune systems, decreasing obesity and depression, decreasing stress and anxiety, and so on and so on. The advantages outweigh the detriment of getting muddy.
Get the kids outside and let them get messy with some of these great ideas!
Beyond Mud Pies: Mud Bricks by Family fun 30+ Mud Activities by Growing a Jeweled Rose How We Built a Mud Pit by Having Fun at Chelle’s House
For further reading:
Getting the Dirt on Dirt for happier, Healthier Children by National Wildlife Federation Bacteria Found In The Soil Activated A Group Of Neurons That Produce The Brain Chemical Serotonin by Medical News Today Report Recommends Mud Pies for Earth Day by Galion Inquirer The Mud Center: Recapturing Childhood by Community Playthings Let Your Kids Get Dirty! by Simple Mom Marvelous Mud by Rusty KeelerJoin our community!
I am Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home mama of five! I am the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught range of levels, including preschool and college, and a little bit of just about everything in between. Right now, my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction
Lilac @ learnersinbloom says
June 29, 2012 at 7:10 amGreat post! My kids have so much fun playing outside and getting messy in the mud. I’ll have to share the links to all the research with my mess-averse husband..
chelle says
June 29, 2012 at 10:31 amGreat Post!! It’s so good to get a little dirty and it easily washes off 🙂
Thanks for the mention!
Rebecca from Here come the girls says
July 6, 2012 at 12:16 amGosh that’s interesting. It’s good to know something so fun can be so good for you.
Thanks for linking to The Sunday Showcase.
Multiple Mummy says
July 6, 2012 at 2:29 pmThat is brilliant and something I have believed for a long time. Avoiding such germs and bacteria only means that you have little ability to fight anything more serious through lack of immunity.
Thanks for sharing on Science Sparks 🙂
Kerry
Nicole says
July 8, 2012 at 11:39 amI couldn’t agree more! My kids are under sanitized and over dirty and honestly are the healthiest kids I know. Not a cold, stomach bug, ear infection, or any other sickness in the 5 years they’ve been alive! My daughter has never been to the doctor other then routine checkups and I attribute it 100% to the food she eats and the way she plays
Ticia says
July 12, 2012 at 2:34 pmHa ha, my kids are covered in dirt all the time.
Thanks for linking to Science Sunday!
rightfromthestart says
August 27, 2012 at 1:47 pmGreat post
I talked to some early educators recently about UK pre schools who have mud trays in their outdoor classrooms. They didn’t think US parents would accept it. Thanks for giving me some sound research to back it up.
Is the Bristol research from alspac?
Sarah says
August 27, 2012 at 2:27 pmI’m glad you enjoyed the post. While I cannot seem to find the exact article I read which reported about the University of Bristol findings, here are two other reports of the same.
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2007/5384.html
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac
Hope this helps!
Amy says
August 28, 2012 at 2:44 pmI’m so glad you linked this post to the Outside Play Link Up. I loved the article and had previously pinned it!
thejennyevolution says
May 19, 2013 at 5:13 pmIn addition to Monday Kid Corner, this week’s theme is MUD. Brush off those archives and link them up at thejennyevolution.com. See you there! Jennifer
Pamela Mahr Aston says
June 27, 2013 at 7:27 pmMy mother often had to hose us down in the driveway before we could come in the house! Dirt is great and playing in it is awesome fun. I actually tell my kids that, when they get out of the bathtub if there is not scunge (read: dirt) in the bottom of the bathtub they did not do their job. That it is their job to get dirty. They think I’m crazy. I also believe that you need to ingest a certain amount of dirt to grow. Maybe that’s why so many kids are short these days? LOL
Lisa Mitchell says
August 1, 2013 at 3:45 amI love this article! Dirt is one of the highlights of my day care. The children make pies and cakes and love to wiggle their toes in it all day! Can’t wait to share this info with my parents.
Marianela says
June 7, 2016 at 3:50 amVery interesting =) Thanks for sharing. I do believe that kids should be exposed and should be allowed to spend more time playing with dirt and less time trapped in a ‘spic and span’ home. Dirt not only has a positive impact on the cognitive skills of a child but it also increases their happiness and enhances their learning. Mother Dirt knows best =)