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The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Makes for Heathy Kids

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June 29, 2012 by Sarah Punkoney, MAT

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.The Dirt on Dirt_How Getting Dirty Makes for Heathy Kids - Stay At Home Educator

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.

Dirt on Dirt_How Getting Dirty Makes for Heathy Kids - Stay At Home Educator

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 Keeler
Sarah Punkoney, MAT

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m 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 a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of 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.

stayathomeeducator.com/

Filed Under: Cognitive Development, Development, Outdoor Play, Play Tagged With: featured

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Comments

  1. Lilac @ learnersinbloom says

    June 29, 2012 at 7:10 am

    Great 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..

  2. chelle says

    June 29, 2012 at 10:31 am

    Great Post!! It’s so good to get a little dirty and it easily washes off 🙂
    Thanks for the mention!

  3. Rebecca from Here come the girls says

    July 6, 2012 at 12:16 am

    Gosh that’s interesting. It’s good to know something so fun can be so good for you.

    Thanks for linking to The Sunday Showcase.

  4. Multiple Mummy says

    July 6, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    That 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

  5. Nicole says

    July 8, 2012 at 11:39 am

    I 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

  6. Ticia says

    July 12, 2012 at 2:34 pm

    Ha ha, my kids are covered in dirt all the time.

    Thanks for linking to Science Sunday!

  7. rightfromthestart says

    August 27, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Great 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 pm

      I’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!

  8. Amy says

    August 28, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    I’m so glad you linked this post to the Outside Play Link Up. I loved the article and had previously pinned it!

  9. thejennyevolution says

    May 19, 2013 at 5:13 pm

    In 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

  10. Pamela Mahr Aston says

    June 27, 2013 at 7:27 pm

    My 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

  11. Lisa Mitchell says

    August 1, 2013 at 3:45 am

    I 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.

  12. Marianela says

    June 7, 2016 at 3:50 am

    Very 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 =)

Trackbacks

  1. healthandknowledge.com » Blog Archive » The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Keeps Kids Healthy says:
    June 29, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    […] Go here to see the original: The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Keeps Kids Healthy […]

  2. Build a Mud Kitchen – Why Playing with Mud is Good For Children | rightfromthestart says:
    August 30, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    […] add weight to my argument I read an excellent post this week about the health benefits of playing in mud. The Children of the 90′s project at the […]

  3. Build Your Own Mud Pond says:
    November 7, 2013 at 3:51 pm

    […] very healthy for you, too!  It was actually Having Fun At Chelle’s House post that inspired my own research article about the many benefits of playing in dirt and […]

  4. Mud Play Activities Sensory Science Math Building Play says:
    March 2, 2015 at 11:39 am

    […] A good place to start is here: How Getting Dirty is Healthy for Kids | Stay At Home Educator […]

  5. Getting the Dirt on PLay | Playground Guru says:
    November 25, 2015 at 9:47 am

    […] For more information and a great resource list visit the Stay At Home Educator Blog. […]

  6. Mud Kitchen Tuff Spot - Clare's Little Tots says:
    May 2, 2016 at 8:02 am

    […] It’s healthy – there’s lots of research to promote the fact that being exposed to dirt helps build up immune systems – don’t believe me? Read this post from Stay at Home Educator – The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Make for Healthy Kids. […]

  7. Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud! – Braeburn International School Arusha says:
    October 18, 2016 at 6:58 am

    […] Did you know that studies have found a good bacteria in soil that has been linked to improved quality of life and happiness?  There is an abundance of information on how playing in the mud boosts a child immune system so it is not only healthy for you but makes you happy. […]

  8. 3 Reasons to NOT Landscape Your Yard - Arrows & Applesauce says:
    January 22, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    […] little boys. I am learning this more and more every day. Not only is it actually healthy (read this), it’s just plain good for the soul. Watch a kids face the next time they stick their chubby […]

  9. Planting and Gardening with Preschoolers says:
    March 25, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    […] I love gardening. You wouldn’t tell by the state of my vegetable garden, though, because my toddlers also love to garden, which means they are constantly in my garden disrupting what hope I have of growing any vegetables. This year, my youngest has dug in my carrots and beets twice (because for some reason my garden is much more interesting than his very large 6×6 foot sandbox), and my older toddler, the neighbor kids, and two preschoolers have stomped through the garden on four separate occasions during an inventive game of sorts. It will be a wonder if even the most child-resilient vegetables emerge this year. I guess they are doing what their bodies and brains know they need. Kids need to get dirty and play! […]

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