The Mud Kitchen
The mud kitchen is a way for children to practice cooking skills in their own way. When children work in their mud kitchens, their activities are played out based on their observations of adults and their kitchen culture.
A mud kitchen is a place where being out in nature fuels a child’s imagination. Wet and dry sand in combination, even dirt and mud creates opportunities for different kinds of play. The sun on a rock can make a good stove top. Water that is fresh from a stream, collected rainwater or a puddle holds the interest of a young child. If water comes from inside the house, leave it out in the sunshine a bit to enliven the water. Just having the water outside will become interesting to the young child.
Some suggestions for what to include in your Mud Kitchen:
The Kitchen- This ranges from something as simple as a few stumps, a small table, a plank of wood to something constructed out of pallets, old kitchen sinks, and so much more
A sandbox- Sand and water are key ingredients, as well as grass clippings, leaves, dried flowers, fresh flowers, rocks, and sticks
Pots and pans- Small portable pots are good choices as well as small muffin tins and molds. Thrift stores and yard sales usually have boxes of this kind of stuff for sale.
Things to stir with- spoons, scoops, shovel, etc. of all shapes and sizes
Plates- anything from real plates to bark or wooden rounds
Bowls- old stainless steel mixing bowls, an empty milk jug base or small buckets... All are fair game for a mud kitchen
Tips and Tricks to keep in mind:
Older three and five year olds are the ones that will want to make the potions by mixing all the outdoor ingredients into their recipes. They really love to work with the “Chocolate Pot” kind of mud!
Regularly raking in the sandbox is a good idea, especially if you have it uncovered. Sift and care for your sand; this is a nice job to start and end your time together.
At clean up time, help them rinse off the dishes, pots and pans so they may start fresh each time. A few cakes shall remain but cleaning up the kitchen is part of the fun. Small brushes can clean off all the muddy and sandy surfaces. It will be helpful if an adult or older child models this part.n Remember it is all part of becoming a good cook so leave enough time to enjoy all the cleanup.
Your child can play in the mud kitchen in any weather! A rainy day and snow are all natural resources for endless recipes.
Parents can get caught in the curated world of Social Media and be lured into searches for fancy mud kitchens- the contents of your Tupperware drawer or a basket and a few old kitchen utensils out in the sand or mud will be all you really need. You and your child can take it from there.
This will get you on your way to enjoying hours of fun and endless creative outcomes while inspiring young cooks. Don’t forget to let your children be involved in your real kitchen as well, those experiences will keep the mud kitchen alive!