Last year, we formally became the owners of a dirt pot.
“What’s a dirt pot?” you might ask.
Well, it’s a large planter that sits on our patio that is filled with dirt. Compost dirt, to be exact.
We acquired the dirt pot because I noticed something about Harrison when he was very young. He loved to use Mommy’s garden tools and dig in the dirt. He’d spend a long time for a 1 year old digging, dumping, and exploring.
But here’s the thing, I’ve got maybe one tiny patch of unplanted dirt that I’d willingly allow my sweet son to dig in and play with as he wished.
Harrison, though, saw the entire garden as a potential construction zone.
So, in came the dirt pot.
Last year, I went to Home Depot and bought a huge plastic planter. I filled the bottom half with styrofoam peanuts (yeah, I know, not great for the environment, but they make a great base layer so I’m not wasting my money on a hundred dollars additional of dirt.) And the top half was filled with compost dirt. Why compost? Well, it stays more pliable than regular dirt. Regular dirt when it dries out gets really hard. It’s hard to dig, it’s hard to manipulate. And it’s especially hard for little hands to use. So, I opted for compost.
It sits on our patio along the back of our screened in porch.
The boys, Jonathan included now, bring materials to the dirt pot to explore and conduct experiments to their hearts delight. Sometimes it’s matchbox cars. Often times there are shovels and buckets used. Sometimes spray bottles of water. But they spend their time moving dirt from one side of the pot to another. Digging it up, dumping it out. They both seem to really enjoy hiding dirt in their tricycle’s cubby trunk. Hiding things in the dirt, creating ramps in the dirt. All manner of things.
Last week, Harrison dug up some worms from my garden and added them to his dirt pot, which I have to say was pretty brilliant.
Ok, so what’s the purpose of it?
Two fold, really. It’s a little like another sandbox for the kids. They experiment with a different material, working on different fine motor skills. They work on problem solving, and it’s a place where they can use their imagination for whatever suits their fancy that day. And secondly, it keeps their little shovels out of my garden.
What are the rules? Don’t the kids throw the dirt? Eat it?
The rules are the same as any of our sensory bins or activities, sandbox included.
- No dumping
- No throwing
- No eating
When they are Jonathan’s age, 18 months old, they are reminded of the rules every day before playing. Harrison, at the age of four, knows the rules and can repeat them to me. The impulse to eat dirt has decreased significantly for him, so you know, that’s progress.
But they get one warning if they break a rule, and the second infraction results in no more dirt pot time for the rest of the day and a “we’ll try again tomorrow!”
Do they break the rules sometimes? Of course! What good kid learning his boundaries not break the rules sometimes? Does it drive me crazy? Depends on the day and my mood. Sometimes, it’s like the final nail in the coffin of an endless amount of messes I have already cleaned up that day. Other times, my rational side reminds myself that it’s all learning.
Does it really keep them out of the rest of my garden? Actually, yes. To have their own place to play in the dirt has seemed to make it clear in their minds what is available to them, and what is off limits. Which for an avid gardener is a big, “hallelujah!”
I truthfully love the dirt pile, though. I think it’s really important for kids to have a chance to get their hands messy, and for it to be encouraged. And it helps my Type A personality to have a set space for them to do the dirty work of childhood.
💗