zigzag Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 We have a sand kitchen which is really popular and well resourced. We now want to set up a mud kitchen down the other end of the playground. I have read lots of articles and fully appreciate the benefits of these. I would love to hear any tips that anyone has in setting up and resourcing this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreamay Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 old pots and pans large metal and wooden spoons jugs aprons with arms (we use old waterproof coats that go over their coats one size up) old tables,or sand/water trays old belfast sink (we dont have water supply but fill it up with soapy water (bucket at plug hole) as cleaning the pots up afterwards adds to the fun old microwaves the children will add the rest! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narnia Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 all of the above, plus; whisks, various sizes ( we found some great big ones in a cook shop) Big spoons ( wilkinsons sell long plastic ones for brewing) and muddy puddles sell very big wooden ones a book stand to hold mud recipes ( charity shop), though you could simply have them hanging up turkey basters sieves cones, shells, pebbles washing up rack baking trays fresh pots of herbs...check for allergies....... garlic press a cauldron or two....or more...........for brewing magic potions egg timers/sand toimers........to check how long things take to cook ( Ofsted would LOVE that!!) if possible, a blackboard to write their own recipes, or menus ( get some ideas/leaflets from takeaways?) if space allows, a small table and a couple of chairs for mud kitchen cutomers we have been donated so much stuff that we're able to put some away and rotate them so it's all fresh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Loving all the above - we found a very old heavy kettle in a charity shop which the children adored, but within 3 weeks some dear soul had stolen it! Our mud kitchen is open to the elements somewhat and people walking through the site when we are not there, so we do have to be careful what we leave out. We don't have a patch for digging or getting dirt either, so I buy bags of topsoil at the garden centre. We have blackboards out there to write up menus or recipes For our children it appears to be more about how much water they can add to the dirt, rather than really making pies, they like to add to the mix flower heads etc., and I take in say, brussel sprouts We have large ladles and long handled spoons, sticks etc. for stirring, colanders and sieves, plenty of bowls, thing is, most of ours want to mix the water and dirt up they aren't particularly interested in using it like a kitchen and cooking food for others to eat! They do love doing the washing up in soapy water though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) We have four outdoor kitchens - one by the mud pit, one by the sand pit and one in the wooded area which is a mixing station - and one just by the allotment - all simply resourced and made (my feller makes them from pallets!)... we just can't get enough of them and boys, especially, like them. There are some great ideas on pinterest for setting up mud pie kitchens and loads of ideas for inspiration. This is one of my favourite books with lovely 'recipes' for all sorts of muddy concoctions! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Recipes-Review-Childrens-Collection/dp/1590173686/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1412285941&sr=8-4&keywords=mud+pie Edited October 2, 2014 by apple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildflowers Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Mortar and pestle for crushing plants. We have lots of chalk in the ground, which they enjoy crushing and grating (careful with fingers) and then mixing with water to make milk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 We have a mud pit and made an adjoining mud kitchen by using and old table which we placed nearby, the children have access to mud and water and we save plastic tubs, bottles etc which get used for a few weeks then replaced as they get broken and a trip to poundland provided us with saucepans, spoons, jugs etc etc. We also have a cement mixer which of course most of us don't have in our real kitchens but it is useful for making mud milkshakes, or last week mud baby food! One thing I did find was that our mud pit used to be fairly near the play house but some of the children used to get upset that their house was getting muddy so when we had a garden revamp we put the mud pit/kitchen in a different corner, still with access to the house type area under the climbing frame but away from the play house, its not a problem for me if they put mud in there but they don't seem to be interested in doing that any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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