5 Easy Steps to Creating Your Own Mud Kitchen
5 Easy Steps to Creating Your Own Mud Kitchen
In a time of beautifully curated social media pictures and piles of “pins” that seem unachievable, it can seem daunting to start a new project such as a mud kitchen. Simply google “mud kitchen” and you will see what I am talking about! The goal of this post is to shift the attention from the polished pictures of the internet to offer some realistic tips to get started today!
STEP 1: START SMALL
Begin by simply walking around your outdoor space to get a feel for it. When you have chosen what feels like the right spot, start with something really small such as collecting sticks and building a “fire”. Grab a pot from the kitchen, set it on top of a rock, and voila, a stove next to a cozy fireplace! Plant the “seeds of inspiration” and let them be an offering to let your children’s imaginations run wild and get to work.
STEP 2: OBSERVE
Watch your child or children playing in the space and simply be with them. What are they imagining? How are they playing? Are they seeking a water source? As you observe you will learn more and more about how the space meets their needs and what might be lacking. Fill in the gaps according to what you are seeing and observing. The internet is great for inspiration, but you know your children best.
STEP 3: IT CAN GROW AND CHANGE WITH YOU
Don’t feel like you need to finish in one day or weekend! Just as your children grow, so too should your space. With time and observation (and new-found gems here and there!) your mud kitchen will continue to evolve. Each addition or change will breathe new life into the space and reignite interest and imagination.
STEP 4: YOU DON’T NEED TO SPEND ANY MONEY
Mud kitchens can be put together with little to no money at all. The photo attached shows a mud kitchen that cost a total of ten dollars. Everything was salvaged with the exception of the metal sink which came from the salvation army. If you can be gentle with yourself and remember that it takes time, then you can simply add things as they become available to you.
STEP 5: HAVE FUN!
Don’t forget to get your hands dirty and play! It’s a good idea to get into the space at eye level to see what your children see. Can they comfortably reach the sink? Is there a bottleneck around favorite materials? Is cleanup manageable and easy for them? Things look different down there! Get involved and experience the space from your child’s perspective.
Above all else, have fun and remember that a mud kitchen is an offering. It is a space that can ignite our imaginations and inspire us to engage with nature in a fun and creative way. Go easy on yourself and lower any expectations you may have, and I promise you, the space will evolve to exactly the way it needs to be for your children.
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Did you make mud pies as a child? Did you spend
hours mixing and creating recipes using dirt, water, flowers, and pinecones?
- What if you could use mud as a teaching tool and eliminate all the worry about messy kids after playing in the mud?
- What if there was an easy way to invite children to become scientists, cooks, entrepreneurs, and artists while playing with mud?
- What if you had Mud Play activities at your fingertips?
With a Mud Kitchen, you can stop saying “No!” and give your children the freedom to get dirty and explore without hesitation. And you get the pleasure of having happy, healthy children as a result! Take a peek inside the More than Mud Pies: Make a Mud Kitchen Master Class with this super fun 1-hour Mud Kitchen Madness workshop
Want to learn more? Join our Mud Kitchen Madness 1-hour online workshop TODAY! Learn more HERE!
