Summer is the perfect time to get dirty! Find a big patch of dirt and dig in! Feel the dirt between your fingers! How would you describe it? Is it dry and crumbly, wet and muddy or somewhere in between? What color is it? Is there anything mixed in, like rocks or leaves? How does it smell?
Now that you’ve explored the dirt, it’s time to dig a hole!
Try digging like an animal.
Use a fork and scratch in the dirt like a bird.
Close your eyes and push the dirt away to make a tunnel like a mole.
Pretend your finger is a worm and wiggle it through the dirt.
Be a ground squirrel and dig a perfect circle.
Imitate a devil crayfish. When you dig your hole, make little balls of mud and stack them like a tower at the entrance of the hole.
Get on your hands and knees, lean as far as you can into the hole and dig a burrow like a rabbit.
It’s OK to use tools too! Use a spade to dig a small hole or a shovel to dig a deep one. Even a stick can make a great digging tool! What else can you use to dig?
Did you find anything hidden in the dirt? Pieces of pottery, coins, a missing toy? Wash them off and display them in a mud museum.
Now you should have a big hole and a big pile of dirt. You can have fun with those too! Pour water in the hole and make some mud pies. Are there any twigs or leaves nearby? Mix them into mud soup. Turn that pile into a dirt castle. Add rocks, twigs and leaves as decorations.
When you’re all finished, it is important to fill in the hole. You can mimic an animal by getting on all fours and kicking the dirt behind you back into the hole. Or use your tools to scoop it back in. Maybe you want to plant something in the hole before you fill it. Go for it!
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