Articles

All articles

Every guide, plan and play idea, newest first.

Mud recipes

Mud recipes: five mixes, from sloppy soup to firm pies

Five mud mixes from garden soil, sand and clay, with rough ratios and tips.

Set up

Mud kitchen utensils and loose parts: what to put in it

The op-shop checklist, plus natural loose parts from the garden.

Set up

Where to put your mud kitchen: shade, drainage, water and small yards

Shade, drainage, water and what to put underneath. Small yards and balconies too.

Free download

Free EYLF mud kitchen planning kit

Outcome mapping, a risk–benefit template, a cleaning schedule and a note to families. Free.

EYLF

Mud kitchens and the EYLF: activities mapped to each outcome

Mud play activities matched to all five EYLF outcomes, with observation prompts.

Buying guide

How to choose a mud kitchen: what to check before you buy

Height, timber, sink, size and delivery: the checklist before you pay.

Play idea

Mud painting

Brushes, sticks and a fence. Big arm movements, easy hose clean-up.

Play idea

Leaf and flower stew

Collect, sort and cook what the garden drops. Great for autumn.

Play idea

Mud pie bakery

Tins, moulds and flower sprinkles. Open for business.

Play idea

Dinosaur swamp

Toy dinosaurs, a muddy tray and a bath afterwards.

Play idea

Mud soup café

Ladles, bowls and garden vegetables. Today's special: gloop.

Play idea

Potion station

Jars, droppers and petal colours. Mix a spell, name it, bottle it.

Materials

Safe timber and finishes for a mud kitchen

What to build with, what to avoid (old treated pine) and how to finish it.

Build plan

How to build a pallet mud kitchen in an afternoon

One or two pallets, a stainless bowl and an afternoon. Step-by-step, with bench heights.

Safety

Is mud safe? Germs, cuts, sun and what to keep out of the soil

The sensible precautions, and why bagged potting mix stays out of the mud kitchen.

Why mud play

The benefits of mud play: what children actually get out of it

Sensory, motor, language, maths and social skills, one sloppy pie at a time.