Cleanliness is next to godliness but sometimes you just have to get dirty. Dirt is definitely an amazing phenomenon. It's free, readily available, and provides hours of toddler entertainment with little to no worries (other than a mouth full here and there). The best thing is that unlike paint, markers, and ink...it is easily washed away with water.
Each summer we generally have a garden. The luxury of fresh vegetables is unsurpassed and the enjoyment of merely walking the rows and surveying the continuously growing crop is immeasurable. Yesterday, we did just that. My husband, my father, and my little tag-a-long put on our overalls and headed to the family garden for a leisurely stroll through the squash and peas. During our visit, my child had more fun than he has ever had with any store bought toy. He smashed dirt clods, slung a few squash, and tried his hand at hoeing a row or two. When we left every inch of his body was brown with dirt (except his teeth and the whites of his eyes). With a big smile we headed home to prebathe under the waterhose, which added to the ombeance of the previous dirt play. Within a few minutes my toddler was clean, in bed, and dreaming of endless fields of dirt clods.
The moral of this story is to never underestimate the power and simplicity of dirt. Nothing I do with my toddler is easy. Whether it's shopping or going out to eat virtually every activity becomes a chore. A day in the dirt, however, is about as painless as it gets and requires literally no preperation. Just keep an eye out for ants!
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