Playing in the dirt. I have happy memories of playing in the dirt.
Dirt clods. My brothers and I threw dirt clods over the fence onto the clean white cement deck next door. Boy did we get into trouble! My Mom was probably so mad at us.
Army trucks and roads carved into the dirt with tree roots as obstacles and bridges. One of my favorite memories of playing in the dirt. If you gave me some toy trucks and a blank dirt canvas today, I would be all over it!
Living on a “farm” growing up we raised chickens, pigs and sheep. We all had chores around the house. Luckily I only had to clean the chicken coop and not the pig pen … oh the dirt!
Next door was an orange grove that went all the way to the end of the block. It wasn’t dirt, but boy was it fun running through the orange grove throwing oranges at each other.
Gardening. My adult time playing in the dirt. Growing tomatoes, carrots and peppers. I especially like growing vegetables from seeds and watching the small seedlings grow up to full size plants providing you something to eat.
Pulling weeds … not the most enjoyable time in the garden, but the before and after is very satisfying.
And we come to what I will call the Happy Bacteria - Mycobacterium vaccae. It is found in soil. It can increase cognitive ability, lower stress and improve concentration.
What if you don’t have a yard with a garden area? How about …
A local community garden?
A windowsill garden?
A container vegetable garden?
An elderly neighbor who needs help in their yard?
Be it picking a weed or growing something, playing in the dirt is good for you.
Karen