Utilizing the mud kitchen for the ultimate sensory play experience

Two tablespoons of wood chips, three cups of leaves, five bunches of sticks, and, the pièce de résistance, ten dollops of freshly brewed MUD. If you want to witness children experiencing pure, unadulterated joy while at play, simply give them a bucket filled with dirt and access to water!

One of the most popular additions to our outdoor space is our beautifully crafted mud kitchen. Mud kitchens are a wonderful catalyst for young children to get creative with the use of natural materials. Having it outdoors ensures that children have access to not just mud, but also flowers, leaves, herbs, sticks, and all the other wonderful elements that nature has to offer. Mud kitchens encourage dramatic play, language development, as well as promotes curiosity and discovery. In the mud kitchen, children are bakers and chefs reading out their recipes for their world-famous chocolate lava cake.

The best part about mud kitchens is that they allow children to freely explore nature and creatively connect with its elements.

Studies have shown that children respond well to nature and the outdoors. In the mud kitchen, children are able to experience natural materials hands-on. They dig their hands through the wet dirt, feeling the grit in between their fingers. They go out to the gardens to pick leaves, sticks, and a variety of flowers to mix in to their muddy concoctions. Children experience the different textures of leaves and petals, and their varying compositions; they have discussions about which color flowers will go in which mud-cake batter. The mud kitchen encourages children to take their time exploring, observing and learning about the natural world around them, a phenomenon that happens less and less in our  society today.

In a world where new, intricate, and often expensive, play materials are constantly peddled, we encourage you to simply take a water-filled bowl, some measuring cups and a mixing spoon outside with your child. Find a quiet spot with some dirt or sand, sit back, and just watch your child engage in hours of open-ended play. Mud kitchens are amazing spaces for sparking creativity, learning and discovery. What you will learn soon enough is that the muddier the kitchen, the more there is to learn!