If I close my eyes and picture the ideal childhood for Rémy, it always sits somewhere in a large grassy field. There are some wildflowers poking about that I would be able to point to and name after a quick Google search. There are quite a few trees for him to climb, and in the air is the smell of slightly damp dirt.
This is not our reality. Currently Rémy’s childhood sits five blocks away from the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles. He lives in a little house on a little slice of land in a bumping neighborhood.
But if I close my eyes, and stand in just the right spot, there is the smell of slightly damp dirt.
Although we boast a pitiful amount of dirt in our yard (generous for Los Angeles, but still meager), we have thrown ourselves into dirt play. It has become a dominant force in our daily routine, occupying Rémy’s hands and Mama’s mind.
And the amount of time and energy we were putting into playing in the dirt, got me thinking… how can we lean in? How can we take this to the next level? And how do we do it in the middle of the city?
I see these beautiful posts with mud kitchens, and giant muddy pits surrounded by tree stumps, and frankly, I’m jealous. But it is possible to have engaging dirt play in a more modest way.
In my quest to deliver the goods, I’ve collected my 10 benefits of dirt play, and the 10 activities to get babies and young toddlers dirty. To see all the benefits and activities in action, check out the video we put together. You will see how, at 14 and 15 months old, Rémy works a small patch.
As we dug further and further into dirt play (sorry, but I have to throw in a dirt pun or two), I started to collect a few tips for city dwellers who still want to get in on all the dirt action.
Reframe Your Thinking
I know, I know, this is a downer way to start any list, but before embarking on a dirt odyssey, you need to file away some of those images from Instagram and Pinterest. Just like looking at filtered pictures of supermodels can kill a girl’s relationship with a mirror, looking at all these extravagant dirt set ups can dampen enthusiasm for what you’re working with.
In the beginning, I was guilty of holding onto these magical images. I would walk outside and feel a sense of disappointment and guilt that I wasn’t giving Rémy enough. I had to let all that go.
Do I still daydream about a house in the countryside with a large vegetable garden and muddy holes? Absolutely. But my grip on these images has loosened, and there is now room to enjoy the yard we do have.
Clear Out Just Enough Room
In the city, chances are, if you have a yard, it has some kind of landscaping. You’ve carefully thought through which plants to put where in order to create something beautiful (or at the very least, avoid eyesore status).
Ripping all this out isn’t necessary, and would actually be counterproductive. I think part of dirt play is being surrounded by plants and insects. We don’t want to take away possible interactions with plants. So we need to be strategic about how big of an area to offer for dirt play.
The size of the area is entirely dependent on the size, mobility, and energy level of the child. When Rémy was 5 months old, all he needed was a spot big enough to sit in and move his arms around.
At 15 months, he requires something bigger. We’ve cleared out a spot that’s about 4 ½ feet long and 2 ½ feet wide. This is enough for him to dig, wet, mix, and move. In a few months, he will likely need more room.
To get it right, I suggest starting with a small patch and seeing how your child plays. That will help you make decisions about space.
Try Out Different Areas
It may be that you have just one option for where your dirt pit goes; however, if there are several potential places, I highly recommend taking the time to play or hang out in each spot. Do this over several days.
This is going to give you information like – Is the spot blazing hot? Do any trees dump tons of leaves onto the spot? Is this already a place that cats or dogs like to use as a toilet? Is the soil here actually workable?
Rémy’s first spot in the yard was too hot and was near an area frequently used by our neighbor’s cat. We moved.
His spot now is right next to our front gate and little leaves collect on it. It works better than the first spot, but I’ve been itching to move it again. I consider myself fortunate that I have options.
Get Friendly With Neighbors
For many of us city dwellers, our front yard is our only yard. The back is nonexistent or real tight. Currently, we have a cement patio with a small raised garden. It seemed like the best options for space were up front.
This means that when we play in the dirt, we are on display. All the people walking or driving by (did I mention how bumping our neighborhood is?) can see what we’re up to.
As a true introvert, I have to admit, there are many days where I want to hide. But there are also more and more days where I’ve come to appreciate the little interactions with our neighbors. There’s always the man who stops to reminisce about his grown children, and the same people walking dogs that excite Rémy.
It feels like we are part of a neighborhood. Even during a pandemic, where we have worked hard to cloister ourselves, we get to be part of the world.
Bins or Raised Beds are Great Options
For much of my time in L.A., I lived in apartments or condos. The closest thing I had to a yard was a balcony or a front porch. I’ve thought it through, and I believe it’s still possible to deliver on the dirt play, at least during a child’s early years.
When Rémy was 6 months old, we were considering the idea of a sandbox. He loved to dig, and we had yet to recognize the superiority of dirt. We went to Home Depot and picked up a large storage bin.
It was the perfect fit for a pint sized person, and all the mess was contained. Big field of mud it was not, but it gave him enough room to do all sorts of fun things. And all of this fun could fit on our front porch.
Have a bit more room? I think that a small raised bed (the kind you see for tiny vegetable gardens), would be perfect. And the bonus is that you will be able to turn it into a family garden when your little one is old enough to help out with that activity.
Get Organized
Small spaces have the tendency to feel cluttered and disorganized quickly. This isn’t an idea that only applies to interior design. Outside spaces with a few items lying around feel small and messy.
Maria Montessori asserted that during the first few years of life, a child is particularly sensitive to the order of their environment. I think we all are, but some of us have built up calluses to the irritation.
What this means for dirt play, and for all outdoor activities, is that you need to develop a method for keeping all your equipment organized. For us, this meant taking some of the Montessori shelf principles and applying them to our outside space.
Doing this has meant that Rémy knows exactly where to find his shovel. Eventually it will also mean that when I sing the clean up song, he understands where to put everything back.
Get Choosey With Gear
If you take a stroll down our street, you will find no less than three water play stations sitting in people’s yards. You know - the plastic ones with the spinning wheels. All three have been stored off to the side. I have never seen one in use.
As mentioned above, you want to get your outdoor area organized for play, and one of the easiest ways to help in that endeavor is to not buy or collect too many things. This means getting extremely picky. No useless water play stations.
If the play item is large, will it receive daily use? No? Then provide a different option for play.
I’ve thought through the different types of play that we have going on in the dirt, and here’s a list of our must-haves, with links:
Look For Outside Options
One of my favorite apartments in Los Angeles was in the middle of Hollywood. It had everything I wanted except space. I often wonder what it would be like to raise Rémy there.
I believe he and I would still spend a good deal of time out in the dirt, it just would have to be park dirt.
Most parks that we visit have spaces that aren’t perfectly landscaped, and would work well for a little bit of digging. Bring a beach bucket set, pull out your little shovel, and get to it.
Private, it is not. But most of us city folk have learned to maximize the use of our public spaces.
Hot Tips and Suggestions?
Were you reading this and a little idea popped up about dirt play? Or maybe it’s a big, bulky idea that must be explored further. Either way, please join the conversation and share.
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