How To Make Mud Kitchens

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Mud kitchens are probably the most exciting and versatile piece of educational play equipment there is. Children can engage in heuristic play, role play, scientific play or just enjoy the texture of the mud. Generations of children have enjoyed the pleasure of mud kitchens and have happily whiled away the hours sieving soil or making mud pies.

Children have always known how fantastic mud kitchens are and have improvised with old pots, pans, sieves and wooden spoons in the garden for decades. After a great deal of research into outdoor classrooms and play, the experts have finally caught on to the benefits of mud kitchens. They are so popular and the learning potential is so great that schools are installing them with great enthusiasm.

What Do Children Learn Through Play?

Mud kitchens are a multifaceted piece of learning equipment disguised as fun. Here are ways in which mud kitchens help early years children to learn very important life skills:-
Language and communication. Discussing plans and ideas with teachers and friends help children to develop conversational and instructional skills. Describing what the mud feels like and explaining what they are doing also helps with language development.

• Physical Development. Children refine their fine motor skills when they use utensils, lift bowls and sieve dry mud. This helps them to strengthen their hand muscles and help them write more effectively.
• Volume, Capacity And Number. Using measuring jugs to find out the quantity of liquid, weighing scales to weigh different amounts of soil and counting stones all help with maths skills.
  Understanding The World. Digging in the mud and finding mini beasts give children an excellent opportunity to discover the magic of nature. (Source:qanurserymagazine.co.uk)
• How To Fill Mud Kitchens.  Filling mud kitchens requires imagination and common sense. Work tops and frames can be purchased from playground equipment manufacturers. The rest of the equipment can be donated by families and teachers. Mud kitchens don’t have to be just kitchens, they can be science labs, fast food joints, cafes, space stations, chocolate factories or anything from your wildest dreams. Teachers can equip their bespoke mud kitchen with whatever equipment suits the topic they are focusing on.

Playdale Kitchens

We have four different sized mud kitchens to suit the space you have available. Our smallest kitchen consists of a square frame with mixing bowls on the top and space to store equipment at the bottom. The second mud kitchen has a work top added to the mixing area. Kitchen number three has two worktops with the frame in the centre. The last kitchen has two mixing areas with a work top in between. All of our mud kitchens are versatile and can be kitted out with many different types of equipment. As with all of our playground equipment each piece is built to high safety standards so that children can enjoy their activities without getting hurt.

As you can see making mud kitchens is easy and only limited by your imagination. To make enquiries about purchasing a mud kitchen just get in touch and we will be happy to discuss your options.

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