If you’ve ever had to hose an inch of mud off your kid before letting them step foot back inside your house, you know there’s nothing they delight in more than making messes outside. Combined with their innate love of open-ended play, it’s no surprise that mud kitchens have recently become a beloved addition to outdoor play areas.
What is a mud kitchen?
Unlike standard play kitchens which offer a relatively controlled and structured environment, mud kitchens encourage messy and open-ended play in connection with nature.
These mini outdoor kitchens replicate real culinary spaces, complete with sinks, stovetops, and shelves, and invite kids into a world of imaginative exploration and delightful messiness. They’re designed for outdoor play and generally made from wood with removable elements that are easy to hose down between play times. Where indoor play kitchens usually focus on role-playing and imaginative cooking scenarios with pretend food and utensils, mud kitchens are designed for messy outdoor play using natural materials like wood or recycled materials.
Because mud kitchens embody many of the principles and values of Montessori and Waldorf education, they’re a staple in many of those types of classrooms as well.
But the advantages extend far beyond the surface; mud kitchens foster developmental growth, particularly through outdoor and sensory play.
What are the benefits of mud kitchens?
Through outdoor play, children forge a connection with nature, developing a sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around them. The vastness of outdoor spaces encourage physical activity, refine gross motor skills, and ignite creativity in the open air. (The true benefits of outdoor play are so innumerable, its importance is hard to overstate!)
Meanwhile, sensory play, a key element of mud kitchen experiences, engages multiple senses, enhancing cognitive development. Manipulating mud and water hones fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness, while the various textures and smells of natural materials provide a sensory-rich experience, nurturing neural connections and fostering cognitive growth. Mud kitchens pack the power of both with the opportunity for kids to adapt their play from toddlerhood all the way into elementary school. And best of all, they’re having tons of fun while doing it. (Even if it means a whole lot of laundry for you later.)
Below we’ve hand-picked some of the best mud kitchens on the market as well as some simple digital plans if you’re more of a DIY parent. So, prepare to embrace the mess (you can always hose them down afterward!), witness the magic of outdoor adventures, and unleash boundless creativity in nature’s kitchen.
The best mud kitchens for kids
TP Toys
• $199
With plenty of play space and ample storage, the Deluxe Wooden Mud Kitchen from TP Toys makes a great option for multiple kiddos. The clever design features a slide out wood sink cover which provides extra cooking space during play time as well as a cook top, oven, and blackboard. There’s a removable basin that holds over two gallons of water and a refillable bucket with tap mounted above, perfect for cleaning up or making bigger messes. (These things can go either way, right?) To get their mud pie making under way, it also comes with a stainless steel pot, pan and whisk.
One thing to note: The wood is untreated, so we recommend a using a sealant to ensure it lasts!
Aoparts
• $118.50
The sturdy and compact pine mud kitchen from Aoparts packs a lot into a simple design. There’s a stove top with two working knobs, a sink basin and mounted water bin with a faucet for pouring, and plenty of hooks, storage and shelf space. The set comes with a whisk, spoon, spatula and pot with lid as well as two cups. There’s also a cute little blackboard they can hang to advertise the day’s specials!
Outsunny
• $109
When it comes to open-ended play, the simpler the toy, the better. Case in point, this minimalist mud kitchen from Outsunny. There isn’t a ton of work space, but we’re willing to bet they’ll be more interested in the clever sink design anyway. With a hidden water supply below the sink basin, just pump the faucet to send water streaming through the tap! Included they’ll also find a food basket, dinner plate, chopping board, knife, and vegetables to keep them busy.
Hape
• $269.99
Enjoy the sunny day and some fresh air while your kiddo writes their menu on the blackboard, whips up some delights with leaves, sticks and rocks or even plants some flowers flowers or herbs in the included pots! This simple but well-stocked outdoor kitchen from Hape is designed to withstand the elements and last long enough to be passed down–a tenet of the brand we’ve always appreciated! We love that every feature is designed with mixing and making in mind, from the generously sized water tank and sink to the recessed bowls on the stove top. There’s also knobs to turn and an oven as well as plenty of storage space below. The set also comes with a pot, ladle, two bowls, two flowerpots, a sieve, water tank, sink, faucet and oven plate.
Wood N Poppy
• $745
How stunning is this hand made mud kitchen? The low, long construction and double basin design makes it easy for multiple kiddos to play together. (Peacefully? Maybe not.) A cook top in the middle features four burners for boiling up their rock and stick stews while the open shelf along the bottom provides plenty of space to stash their supplies. There’s also hooks for storage across the backsplash and a wide plank at the top for displaying their herbs and flowers. And while you can always opt for natural wood, we love the soft color options of rose, sky and sage!
Costzon
• $94.99
If you don’t have the luxury of taking up valuable real estate with your standard style mud kitchen, this cart style design might be the answer! In addition to the overall slim footprint, two wheels allow it to be moved around the yard, deck or driveway. There’s a bowl for water, a pretend tap, a stovetop with four burners and an oven and shelf below. For the sunniest days, a removable umbrella provides extra shade. It also comes with two pots, two pans and a whisk to get cooking. We also think that with a few adaptations it could make a great little lemonade stand!
Build Blueprint
• $8.95
With approximately $200 of supplies, a bit of time and these plans, you can build a DIY mud kitchen that’s sure to impress the kiddos. Along with the high-quality instructions you’ll also find a shopping guide to help you round up everything you need. When finished, it features a sink, stove top, and a shelf and hooks for storage.
