Woods Wisdom Found in the Dirt

More and more research suggests that letting children play in the dirt is good for them. Contact with certain germs and parasites found in the great out of doors early in life, especially those found in the soil can be healthy for building sound functioning immune systems. Some researchers suggest that time spent playing outdoors in the dirt and mud, which is filled with mycobacteria, serves a role in protecting children from allergic and autoimmune diseases as well as acting as an antidepressant.

There is a higher occurrence of asthma in inner city kids that are more likely to play on concrete than in the dirt, and a low incidence of allergies in kids who live in rural areas like on farms where contact with soil is much more common. Hygiene hypothesis theory blames the modern preoccupation with cleanliness for contributing to the recent rise in the incidence of asthma and allergies.

Recent research conducted at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, suggest that exposure to some bacteria found in soils induced the brain to make more serotonin, our "happy" chemical. Yes, dirt makes you happy... amazing.

Although some bacteria can cause disease, not all strains of bacteria are dangerous. For example, a considerable number of bacteria within our intestinal tract are vital to healthy existence. This doesn’t mean that eating dirt would be healthy though some children relish a daily diet of the stuff. Only superficial contact with our largest organ, the skin, is sufficient for building that healthy immune system and brain function.

Get your kids out in nature to give them a healthy immune system and more happiness. Schedule them for a Ancestral Knowledge Day Camp.

30 Jun – 3 Jul – Woods Wise Spring Break Camp (Greenbelt, MD) ages 8-14

7-11 Jul – Woods Wise Day Camp (Greenbelt, MD) ages 8-14

7-11 Jul – Wisdom of the Woods Day Camp (Greenbelt, MD) ages 8-14

21-25 Jul – Woods Wise Day Camp (Greenbelt, MD) ages 8-14

21-25 Jul – Wisdom of the Woods Day Camp (Greenbelt, MD) ages 8-14

28 Jul – 1 Aug – Woods Wise Day Camp (Greenbelt, MD) ages 8-14

28 Jul – 1 Aug – Wisdom of the Woods Day Camp (Greenbelt, MD) ages 8-14