Our mud kitchens for schools and nurseries allow children to create the perfect area to play with mud and be creative.
Making mud pies is an iconic symbol of childhood – they are accessible, and don’t discriminate against age or ability, giving everyone the capacity to be creative.
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Mud kitchens are exciting, messy, creative areas to play. Having them in schools is a relatively new idea but children have been cooking up mud pies in their gardens for decades. The learning potential from mud kitchens is immense due to their creative nature.
Children experience sensory, emotional and imaginative play as well as developing maths, science and speaking skills. They also benefit from playing outside and interacting with other children. Teachers guide role play by adding equipment that develops specific skills this results in the mud kitchen becoming a science lab or Michelin starred restaurant.
Language skills develop because children talk about what they are making and answer questions about their recipes. Schools usually install mud kitchens in sheltered areas of the playground near a good supply of mud.
Play kitchens provide amazing creative opportunities including; kitchen play, digging, mud pies, mud painting and anything else children could possibly imagine.
The novelty of having an outdoor kitchen inspires creativity and outdoor play. The ability to hang utensils even allow more organised children to keep the kitchen in good working order.
Whilst as adults we often want to discourage our children from becoming dirty, the occasional muddy day will inspire imaginative play and affords children new play ideas, and gives them an opportunity to explore a new side to their personality. Note – this product does not include washing powder!
What is a mud kitchen?
A mud kitchen is a piece of outdoor play equipment that emulates a traditional kitchen setup, but with a focus on messy play. It will typically include a countertop, shelving, storage and an area for mixing and creating with mud or soil.
What are the benefits of a mud kitchen?
Mud kitchens offer a range of benefits for a child’s development. They encourage imaginative play which enhances creativity and problem solving skills. They also provide sensory experiences, allowing children to explore different textures and materials. They are fantastic at promoting social interaction and allowing them to appreciate nature.
Are mud kitchens safe?
When correctly designed and supervised, mud kitchens are safe for children. They should be built with safety aspects in mind such as non sharp or rounded edges and built using durable materials. However, it is important to establish rules for safe play such as avoiding ingestion of mud and hand washing once play has finished.
How can mud kitchens be used in a teaching environment?
Mud kitchens offer excellent hands on opportunities to teach a range of subjects. Teachers can incorporate mud kitchens into science lessons by exploring plants and soil. They can also be used for maths activities such as working out measurements and counting ingredients. In addition it’s easy to incorporate role play activities and language development.
Are mud kitchens suitable for a range of age groups?
Mud kitchens can be adapted to suit both early years and primary school children. Younger children will require a lower work surface and accessories or utensils that are small enough for little hands. Older children can engage with more complex activities such as experiments or soil and plant investigations.
The muddier children are after playing in a mud kitchen, the more they have learnt!
Maths and Science provide explanations for lots of questions and generates many more. Volume and capacity involves measuring liquids and solids to compare quantities and weight. Recipes effectively combine weights, measures and the reaction of different types of mud to water. Children learn how to read the scale on a measuring jug by looking at it. They discover that 250 ml of water and 300 ml of water doesn’t fit into a 500 ml measuring jug.
Children hypothesise about the outcomes of experiments and discuss methods and results with the rest of the class. Teachers guide learning by including the relevant utensils and setting the scene.
