How I started

The idea to create my first mud kitchen was inspired by pictures of outdoor areas I had come across in my beginning years as a Kindergarten teacher.  After sectioning off an area of our Kindergarten pen with wood chips, planters, and play houses, I was constantly inclined to add to this area.  My intention was to create an area which cultivated a deep sense of nature and an everlasting curiosity of it.  The only thing missing was a Mud Kitchen - a space where nature could provide abundant concoctions and be embraced within imaginative play. I built the first two kitchens for our yard out of skids, re-using the wood as a way to stay cost efficient.  After inquires were made by numerous educators, I started building them with pressure treated wood instead - a wood more durable and able to better withstand various different weather conditions. With the help of my brother, I was able to build them in a more timely manner and then eventually learned how to do it completely on my own. I have recently started to build variations of them, altering the size to better suit the height of toddlers as well as children. My hope continues to be that through open ended play at these Mud Kitchens, children and toddlers will be able to engage in sensory play, express their creativity, enhance their fine motor skills and practice social cooperation, negotiation and communication as they grow a deeper appreciation for nature and the outside world.