Is Potting Soil Safe To Play In? 5 Tips For Keeping Your Kids Safe
Is potting soil safe to play in? Yes, potting soil is generally safe to play in if you take some precautions. Make sure to wash your hands afterward, and don’t eat any of the soil if you can help it. Even though potting soil can contain bacteria, fungi, and other things, the overall risk is pretty low. There are far worse things that your child can play in or around.
When it comes to keeping your kids safe, potting soil is one of those things that you may not think about. After all, it’s just dirt, right? Some people would argue that potting soil can be dangerous for kids if they eat it or play in it.
In this blog post, we will give you 5 tips for keeping your kids safe around potting soil.
Is Potting Soil Safe for Kids to Play With?
Whether you’re a gardener, a parent, or both, there’s no denying that potting soil is an essential part of any indoor and outdoor space.
Not only does it provide crucial nutrients for growing plants and flowers, but it also holds moisture in the soil and helps to prevent weed growth.
However, many people wonder whether potting soil is safe for kids to play with. In general, the answer seems to be yes – as long as certain precautions are taken.
To start with, it’s important to look at what potting soil is made of. Generally speaking, this type of soil contains a blend of organic matter like peat moss mixed with other ingredients like perlite or vermiculite.
While none of these ingredients are inherently dangerous for young children to touch or play with, they can still contain small amounts of chemicals like pesticides that you want to keep away from sensitive skin and little hands.
Furthermore, it’s important to monitor your children when they are playing with potting soil and avoid letting them eat mud pies or put it in their mouths when they don’t know any better!
By taking these simple steps, you can allow your kids to enjoy the pleasures of playing in the dirt without compromising their health in the process.
And who knows – you may even be able to teach them a thing or two about gardening in the process!
Here are five tips for keeping your kids safe around potting soil:
- Choose potting soil that is organic and free of chemicals.
- Keep an eye on your children when they are playing with potting soil.
- Avoid letting them eat mud pies or putting it in their mouths.
- Wash their hands after they play with potting soil.
- Store potting soil in a safe place where kids cannot access it.
Is It Safe to Play in Potting Soil?
Well, the truth is that potting soil is generally safe for kids to play in. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
First, make sure the potting soil you’re using is clean and free of any chemicals or pesticides.
Secondly, if your child has any cuts or open wounds, it’s best to keep them away from the potting soil to prevent infection.
Finally, be sure to wash your child’s hands thoroughly after they’ve been playing in the dirt.
Is Soil Toxic Or Is It Safe for Kids to Play In?
Any parent knows that kids are crawling around on the ground all the time. They put their hands in the dirt, pick up rocks and sticks, and basically just explore the world with their hands and mouths.
So when you hear someone say that soil is toxic, it can definitely make you pause. Is it safe for our kids to be playing in the dirt?
The short answer is yes, the soil is safe for kids. In fact, it can actually be good for them! Soil contains many nutrients that are essential for healthy plant growth, and it also contains beneficial bacteria that can help to protect plants from disease.
However, there are some situations where soil may become contaminated with harmful substances.
For example, if harmful chemicals have been sprayed on a plant, they may remain in the soil long after the plant has died. In these cases, it’s important to keep kids away from the affected area until the soil has been cleaned up.
Overall, though, there’s no need to worry about your kids playing in the dirt – it’s actually good for them!
Can You Eat Potting soil?
Yes, while you can eat potting soil, it is not recommended. Potting soil is generally pretty safe to be around or to have your hands in when you plant your garden but that doesn’t mean that you should eat it.
Potting soil contains actual soil and may contain pathogens, bacteria, or traces of other harmful things so you should not eat it and you should wash your hands thoroughly after using potting soil.
What Happens if You Eat Potting Soil?
While it might be tempting to take a bite out of this rich garden medium, eating soil can have some pretty unpleasant consequences.
For one thing, potting soil typically contains a number of chemicals that are toxic to humans, including pesticides and fungicides.
Eating these substances can lead to all kinds of unpleasant symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and even diarrhea.
How to Discourage Eating Potting Soil?
If you have a green thumb and a kid who likes to put everything in their mouth, you may be wondering how to discourage them from eating potting soil.
One way to discourage potting soil eating is to make it less appealing. You can add things like grated carrots or chopped celery to the soil to make it less appetizing.
Or, try mixing in a small amount of cayenne pepper or chili powder. The flavor will be off-putting to most people, but it won’t harm your plants.
Another way to discourage potting soil eating is to keep it out of reach. If your child can’t get their hands on the potting soil, they can’t eat it!
So, make sure to store your potting soil in a place where kids can’t reach it. For example, you could keep it on a high shelf in the garage or in a locked cabinet in the house.
Can You Get Sick from Potting Mix?
The idea of getting sick from potting mix might sound a bit strange at first, but it’s actually a very real possibility.
Potting mix is used to help grow a wide variety of plants, and it typically contains different types of soil, fertilizer, and compost.
However, these ingredients can sometimes harbor pathogens or harmful bacteria that can make you sick if you’re not careful.
For example, the potting mix may contain harmful microbes such as salmonella or E. coli, which can spread easily when they come into contact with your skin or get inhaled by your lungs.
There have been cases of Legionella longbeachae which can cause Legionnaire’s disease, a form of pneumonia. Check out this article from the Australian government.
Should You Wear a Mask when Using Potting Mix?
Yes, you should wear a mask if you will be working with potting mix for extended periods of time to protect yourself from the possibility of inhaling different particles.
Which Is Better Potting Soil or Potting Mix?
If you want to choose one of these either potting soil or potting mix for your child to play with or in, I would choose an organic soil-less potting mix that doesn’t contain any fertilizer or water retention crystals.
A soil-less potting mix is generally a sterile potting mixture that is made up of things like peat moss or coconut coir, perlite, and even vermiculite.
All of these ingredients are naturally occurring materials from nature that are put together into the potting mix to provide plants with everything they need.
This makes an organic soil-less potting mix safer to play in than potting soil.
How Do You Make a Dirt Box?
You can make a simple dirt box just like you would make a raised bed for planting vegetables. A dirt box is essentially a wooden frame that sits on top of the ground or even on your deck. Make sure to put drainage holes in the box if it has a bottom or some time of liner in it.
Most of the time these dirt boxes are 12-16 inches deep but ultimately you can make it any depth. You can then fill it with any combination of materials such as sand or potting mix.
What Is Play Dirt Made out Of?
Play dirt is not actual dirt at all but rather a mixture of safe ingredients that you combine together into a bowl that ends up looking like dirt. This mixture is made from shaving cream, corn starch, and brown food coloring.
You combine these ingredients in a bowl until your mixture resembles dirt. It will feel look interesting and will feel squishy at first, but wait and allow it to dry some and it will get to a point where the consistency is more like dirt.
In Conclusion
Potting soil is a great material to play in, but it’s important to take precautions to make sure your child is safe.
By keeping potting soil out of reach and discouraging them from eating it, you can help keep them safe. You should also wear a mask when working with potting mix to avoid inhaling any harmful particles.
If you want your child to be able to enjoy playing in the dirt, make sure to create a safe space for them by using a dirt box filled with organic soil-less potting mix.
