It seems almost sad that we might need a book to give us ideas on how to engage our children with nature, but we welcome I Love Dirt nonetheless.
I Love Dirt by Jennifer Ward
As a child I ran barefoot, rode bareback, chased fireflies, climbed trees, caught crawdads in the creek, secretly raided gardens and (quite cleverly) rigged playing cards to my Huffy bicycle spokes with clothespins to create a motor sound when I pedaled. So writes author Jennifer Ward about her own childhood connection with the outdoors. She has written many picture books, usually featuring animals in nature settings and this, her first work of non-fiction, is aimed at adults - parents, teachers and anyone interested in sharing and discovering nature with children.
The full title of the book is I Love Dirt: 52 Activities to help you and your kids discover the wonders of nature and the forward is written by Richard Louv who you may remember as the author of Last Child in the Woods which we featured last year. The activities are organized by the four seasons ("Going on a bird hunt" in Spring, "Water hole watching" in Summer, for example) and offer ideas for getting out there - and, sometimes, getting dirty - with kids.
We especially like that most of the activities don't require any accoutrements to buy nor do they require that you live near a wondrous nature preserve.
You can learn more about Jennifer Ward at her website and purchase the book ($13) at your local bookshop or at an online shop like this one.
Comments (4)
Top Tours
- Layla's Small-but-Stylish Aviary
- Baby Daley's Room-to-Be
- Scarlett's Sensational Secondhand Space
- E's Room
- Kenzie's Yellows, Whites, and Designer Chairs
Top Posts
Past Events
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
I love playing in the dirt and mud. Dog poop is another story. Tree climbing? Hahah. The source of many scars.
view stickyricemama's profile
I just wishlisted this book yesterday. It's kind of sad that books like this need to exist, but I'm glad they do. I'm a former farm kid raising city kids, and I'm realizing that it's going to take some work to connect them with nature. It's not as easy as just kicking them out of the house and telling them to come back at lunchtime.
view TammyE's profile
Bought it. Love it. Lots of SIMPLE activities.
view Kate N's profile
I don't think there is anything sad about the existence of such a book. I love to cook and eat, and I welcome cookbooks that help me expand my knowledge and experience. I feel the same way about a book about the outdoors. I grew up in Maine and certainly have plenty of experience with tree-climbing, hayloft-jumping, pond-swimming and clay-harvesting (from a real clay pit), but I don't know that I could have told my son all the different bits that are in the dirt as this book does. If he asked what is in dirt, it is possible that I would have resorted to, "Well...dirty stuff." I love a walk through the ravine in Prospect Park with no agenda, but it's also great to plan out an activity sometimes too.
view phoneill's profile