This is a question many parents asked and asked themselves: "Why does my child like to play with dirt?" Well, firstly, parents have already forgotten the times when they were children. Another answer to the question: children play with dirt, because, as an element, it is very close to the composition of their own bodies, so they instinctively reach for it.
Of course, it is understandable the concern of parents - they are afraid for the health of children. But research shows that children who play with dirt are not at a higher risk of developing diseases than those who do not. In addition, children who play with dirt develop stronger immune systems and resistance to bacteria and viruses.
An article published by The Wildlife Federation under the title "Dirt on Dirt" explains that dirt and microbes are really good for children. Of course, we will not leave our children playing with dirt at the dog-walking area or anywhere else that could pose a threat to children's health through contaminated animal feces, toxic waste, or any other contaminants. Nevertheless, if in your area there is a well-groomed park, it allows children to play with dirt.
Playing with dirt has a therapeutic effect. If your house has a garden or garden, involve children in garden work. Your children will have a great opportunity to dig in the mud. Boys and girls alike like to play with dirt. Remember childhood. What happiness it was just to wander through the mud with bulldozers and dump trucks or to make pies from the mud. And the dirt to the touch is pleasant, soft and velvety. This form of play is not only harmless, but also lends itself to mutual socialization, as children cooperate with peers in an uncompetitive atmosphere.
The game of children with dirt gives endless possibilities. Playing in open nature can affect the intellectual orientation of children, even open doors for future academic pursuits. Children's interest in the products of the earth can literally cause interest in biology and ecology.
A study on environmental education shows that children acquire practical experience. The results of the research show that children learn the academic disciplines better if they are more understanding the world around them. Improvements have been recorded in reading and math, science and social studies.
Many children who do not want to play with dirt. Nowadays, children are so attached to technology that playing with dirt is incomprehensible to them, especially for those who live in urban areas. Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods" explains this as a peculiar phenomenon and came up with a term - a violation of the natural deficit. He is nostalgic for those times when children spend more time in nature, and parents encouraged them. He believes that children should be closer to nature, but society inspires our children to fear this. He suggests using the principle of green urbanism and creating an atmosphere of nature in the classrooms.
Only in the last three or four decades have we turned our faces to mother nature as the source of our lives to restore lost feelings and sensations. We must awaken in children the desire to explore nature, so that they are interested in the welfare of the planet and its resources.
