If you’re tired of hearing the words “I’m bored,” unplug and get outside this weekend! According to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation, letting kids get dirty is actually good for them. “The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids” contains statistics stating that children who spend the better part of their free time in the company of their sterile hi-tech gadgets rather than playing outside, are more vulnerable to obesity, ADHD, vitamin D deficiency, and depression.
If you’re not sure what to do or where to go, The National Wildlife Foundation has a wealth of resources designed to get your family outdoors. There’s a free downloadable outdoor play guide and my favorite, the Activity Finder! Designed for families to get the most out of their outdoor time together, Activity Finder allows parents to find ideas by age, time available, cost, and other filters to find outdoor activities that will be of interest to your children. Here are some highlights that will allow your kids to have some good, clean, dirty fun outdoors:
Be an Artist
- Give your child a stick and a muddy surface to draw on. Mistakes are no problem. Just smooth them over and start again.
- Mud balls can become out-of-season snowmen or abstract sculptures. If your child’s creation isn’t sticking together, just add more water.
Be a Builder
- Children can make buildings of all shapes and sizes if they use sticks to create a frame and pack mud on to it. Houses or forts perhaps, a castle with a moat, or a stable to put toy horses in.
- If they also like the idea of large-scale public works, have them make a river by digging a trench in the mud or dirt. Then, add water as needed and a dam.
Be a Biologist
- When it rains, take a walk through your neighborhood to see which animals go under over and which come out in wet weather. Kids may also see birds swooping down to take a bath in nearby puddles.
- This is also a fine time to study worms that surface to breathe when their burrows fill with water. Then, enlist the kids in a Worm Rescue Squad and move any worms they find on the sidewalk back to the dirt so they don’t dry out.
Be a Chef
- If you’re going to play in the mud, why not make some mud pies? If you have some old cake or pie tins, great. Otherwise, shallow plastic containers work just fine. Once the pies are “baked,” it’s time to make them beautiful. Encourage your children to scour the yard for pebbles, petals, and leaves that will make perfect decorations on top.
- Collect dirt, grass, leaves, twigs and acorns in a large container for a bountiful nature salad. Add some water, and it’s mud stew.
To check out the DIRT report and for more outdoor fun ideas from National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement, visit www.beoutthere.org
No compensation was received for this post. As big fans of the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement, I am happy to share these ideas and resources with you. Logo and images courtesy of National Wildlife Foundation.
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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012
I’m a huge fan of getting out there and getting dirty! If you haven’t already read it, I love the book, Last Child in the Woods: Nature Deficit Disorder (I may have reversed the title.)