So-What’s a Mud Kitchen?

                  So-What’s a Mud Kitchen?

Do you remember what it was like as a child to play with mud in the good old outdoors? Think mud pies, mud pools, sticky, pails, shovels…it was pretty amazing. With such a technology push today, many kids have never experienced this joyful activity. Plus, many children are also totally content with hanging indoors. This increases obesity and other health risks. So, stop this behavior and get them outdoors by making a mud kitchen for your kids. No, you certainly don’t have to bring the mud inside into your own kitchen-simply set one up outdoors (preferably by a hose) and let the kids go to town!

A mud kitchen is a relatively new term and can come in many different forms. Some parents designate a patch of mulch, dirt, or grass as a mud zone where kids can get their hands (and other body parts) totally dirty while their imagination takes off. Other parents actually set up crates, cinder blocks, tables, or used kitchen sets (complete with utensils) for their kids to utilize.

Regardless of the set-up, a mud kitchen is all about exposing your kids and their friends to different textures and sensations. Much like a sandbox (but dirtier), mud can be manipulated into shapes, built into objects, fill containers, and just be something to manipulate. It’s a great way for yourself to be a kid again as well, when you partake in this dirty play.

Be sure to provide your kids with some water if they are too small to control a hose. You may even consider placing some watering cans in their kitchen, so they can adjust the mud’s thickness to their liking, use it to sculpt and mold, but also set their creations.

In addition to water, be sure to not send your kids out to their mud kitchen in their best clothes or shoes, since they can get pretty grimy. Galoshes will be your best friend, or you may allow your kids to go without shoes. You may even want to give them an apron, a chef’s hat (for a more dramatic play touch), and plenty of manipulatives (like rocks, sticks, spoons, old pans, cookie sheets-the options are endless).

When it’s time for clean up, a hose will suffice until you can get everyone into the tub! Be sure to keep some old towels on stand by, so they don’t slip, they stay warm, and you can wipe some hard to reach places. Mud play is ideal in springtime, when rain is ample and the ground is moist; or summer, when your kids won’t mind getting hosed off, or playing outside in an afternoon rain shower.

While a mud kitchen is totally messy, the pros outweigh the cons. Some benefits of mud play include:

• Improved speech
• Socialization with others
• Exposure to texture
• Dramatic play
• Fine and gross motor manipulation
• Conversation practice
• Problem Solving Improvement
• Visual Spatial Awareness
• Creativity Development

Plus, if you set up a mud kitchen for your next playdate, you’ll probably be the coolest parent in town, according to your own child and their guests!

In conclusion, think back to how much fun it was for you to play outside, jump in puddles, and serve up a huge slice of mud pie. Building your own mud kitchen is simple, and you can fill it with materials you already have sitting around the house. Your child will love the freedom of playing with something that’s usually deemed as “forbidden” and you’ll literally watch their creativity soar overnight. While it may be messy, the benefits of a mud kitchen are plentiful, and your kids will make memories that will stay with them for a lifetime.