Do kids play in dirt anymore?

 Perhaps not as much as they used to. After all, handheld video games and iPhone apps are very appealing to children. But it's a pity that kids are missing out on the simple joy of playing in dirt.

There's nothing quite like a pile of dirt in the backyard and a good stick to dig with. With more sticks and stones, kids can build wonderful embankments, fortresses, or other structures. Or, if they're lucky enough, they can use Tonka Toy bulldozers, backhoes, and dump trucks to create their own little worlds.

I remember spending hours digging holes, making mounds, and filling dump trucks with rocks, soil, dust, and twigs. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Sure, sandboxes are fun, but they're not quite the same. Dirt packs and clumps in a way that sand doesn't, and it has a primal, earthy feel.

If you're looking for a fun activity to do with your kids, try finding a mound of dirt near a construction site or an abandoned trolley route. You can have a dirt clod war or dig for rusty railroad spikes. And don't forget to say hello to the earthworms, those unseen laborers who constantly move, process, and rejuvenate the soil.

Screenshot of worm making its way in dirt from video below.

They are Children of Atlas who bear the burden of lifting the earth and more as they eat, fold, and swim in the dust of ages.

We would do well to become more familiar with both.

Let us learn more about the Earth and the creatures that inhabit it, both seen and unseen.