Ain't Nothing Wrong With Nature Play!

Daisha
Jul 17, 2019
2 min read

Immersed in childhood

I googled the difference between dirt and soil because believe it or not there is a difference. By definition soil is a combination of minerals, air, water, animals, and other LIVING matter. Dirt is made up of DEAD matter. I am far from a nature freak however, growing up my brother and I often played outside without parental intervention amongst nature. Whether that be in my dads backyard building mud houses for bugs or holding worms and snails without fear. We were able to play outside without any toys or guidance and I have nothing but good memories.

Let them play

I love allowing my children to play freely amongst nature without my direction. They do not fear bugs and aren’t afraid to get messy. A few days ago I needed some time to work on some things while they were distracted and letting them play in the back yard was perfect. Josiah built a ramp for his truck out of sticks and whatever else he found, while Maliah observed him on occasion and then laid in the soil 🤷🏾‍♀️. At one point they were fighting over rocks so I did have to step in and show them that there are a million rocks outside lmfao. When it was time to go inside I was met with lots of crying and pleading, “no please I don’t want to go inside”. After dinner and a nice bath both kids were knocked out until morning. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!

Ain't nothing wrong with nature play

There’s nothing wrong with nature play. It is not dirty to play amongst matter that has the ability to sustain life. In fact it’s said to be beneficial in providing opportunity for discovery, creativity, problem solving, and STEM education. If you don’t have a back yard you can visit a park, nature center, or nature based playground. Check out the links below for some nice places your kids can explore and play creatively! If you don't live in NYC you can google playgrounds and nature centers near you!