PROS
1. it's VERY forgiving
2. seeing worms coming up at night or early in the morning...it's just cool seeing how quickly they zip back into their holes...and it's a hoot listening to the boy laugh when he catches two tangled together mating.
3. spills don't seem as important on the dirt as it's easily raked and the remaining stuff just blends in.
CONS
1. dirt shifts and moves and requires supports under wood racks to keep them from sinking in.
2. it's dirt, doesn't look as clean and tidy
3. when it rains it gets wet and sometimes slippery.