Summer is here and we are ready in the mud kitchen! I have had a lot of questions about this area lately so I thought I would share a bit more about it. It changes often based on the season and our interests. Sometimes it is a kitchen or reaturant, sometimes there is painting or chalk art happening, sometimes its just plain old messy, muddy play!

Currently in our summer mud kitchen: pots and utensils, old flower bouquet, chalk painted rocks

While seasonal items come and go, the main pieces and parts of our outdoor play kitchen are:

• Mud! We bought a huge bag of dirt a few years ago to fill planter boxes. The left over we poured into a large covered bucket. We are almost to the bottom of it now and will probably do the same again. You could source from your yard if you have a space you don’t mind having dug up and have no environmental concerns about the area. You could also use sand or plain water if your not into the mess.
• Work Surface: Ours is a coffee table I found for free on the side of the road. All you really need is an elevated surface large enough for them to work. I have always wanted to put a sink into this one but never have and it still gets used daily, so no need to be fancy
• Water: Too much water can quickly turn your outdoor kitchen into an overwhelming mess! I use an old coleman water dispenser with a push button spout so the kids have their own access to about a gallon of water. When its gone its gone. Also keep a wet cloth nearby for quick cleanups
• Pots and Pans: A mix of metal and plastic containers. Camp pots like the one pictures make for great imaginative play. Also teapots and watering cans are great.
• Utensils: spoons, scoops, shovels, whiskers, wood mallets
• Natural and seasonal items: fresh flowers, leaves, acorns, pinecones, icicles, sticks, stones