Dirt on my shirt! We all need some - little kids and big ones too!

I love this poem by Jeff Foxworthy! A comedian who knows the importance of kids playing in the great outdoors!

Who woulda thunk it? Someone who is known for his hilarious comedy truly knows a thing or two about how good it is for kids to play in the great outdoors! I had no idea Jeff Foxworthy wrote children's books and poetry. In addition to his humor, it appears he has a great talent for writing . . .

Dirt on My Shirt

There's dirt on my shirt

And leaves in my hair

There's mud on my boots

But I don't really care

Playing outside is so much fun

To breathe the clean air

And feel the warm sun

To stomp in a puddle

Or climb a big tree

Makes me quite happy

Just look and you'll see

Makes you want to go back to being a kid and spend endless hours playing outside, doesn't it? There is something so special about being out in nature, especially for kids!

A lot of research has been done on all of the many benefits and there are a lot of excellent reasons for encouraging our kids to play outside. Certainly more than I can list here.

Children need exercise and being in the outdoors encourages active play, like with a ball or bike, and this makes sense as they play harder outside. It promotes curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

Sun exposure is good for them because vitamin D makes us healthy and strong. Of course, we need to be careful and put sunscreen on the kiddos.

It is a wonderful way for families to spend time together.

Being out in nature is great for children's mental and emotional health. Also applies to adults!

It is an amazing way to develop their imagination, encouraging them to create their own games and play make-believe.

Penny Whitehouse (founder of Mother Natured website) put it so wonderfully when she said . . .

"Restore balance. Most kids have technology, school and extracurricular activities covered. It’s time to add a pinch of adventure, a sprinkle of sunshine and a big handful of outdoor play."

And finally it encourages children to appreciate nature and our world, which is so super important in this day and age. We need this generation of kiddos to be advocates for making our planet healthy and creating a world that future generations can enjoy with all of its amazing nature and ecosystems.

So I just want to give kudos to Jeff Foxworthy for his amazing poem! We, and especially kids, need dirt on our shirts. May all of us find the total joy of playing outside, big kids and little kids alike!

(The cutie in the picture is my grandson, who I am happy to say loves playing outside!)