Serious question, why stop kids from touching rocks?
I watch parents yell at their kids for picking up rocks, and it makes no sense. Those rocks are tiny pieces of earth's history. My niece learned about erosion just from holding a smooth stone. Letting her explore like that beats any screen time. Hands-on beats hands-off every time.
Honestly, it might be that they dread the cleanup more than the dirt itself. Tbh, imagining all that scrubbing afterwards can kill the mood before it even starts. Ngl, I've seen folks skip the fun just to avoid an extra chore, which is sad because that messy moment is what you remember later.