You don’t have to let the snow stop your children from enjoying nature exploration. Whether you have several feet of snow, slush, or just plain mud in your yard, you can provide tools for your children to create an enchanting natural play area they will adore.
Over the past few years, some of our kitchen wares have migrated from the kitchen to the backyard into the children’s mud pie kitchen. The kitchen itself travels around the backyard, settling in on a tree stump only to be moved the next hour or day underneath the trampoline, or over into the garden. The important parts are the tools and the imaginations of the children who use them.
A few things that will make your mudpie kitchen the place to be in your yard:
- muffin tin
- wooden spoon
- old pot or pan, or child size versions
- bread tin
- strainer/colander
- baking tray
- metal or plastic bowls of various sizes
- tongs, flippers, and other kitchen tools
If you have small sizes of the above, that will make them easier for little hands to manage, but anything will do. Really.
An adorable little book that I learned about from Ginny over at Small Things, is Mud Pies and Other Recipes by Marjorie Winslow. Overflowing with charming illustrations and recipes – from Wood Chip Dip to Pine Needle Upside-Down Cake, it is a great addition to the bookshelf and would be a sweet gift, especially paired with a second hand muffin tin and wooden spoon.
When the need to move on from the mud kitchen wears off – don’t overlook the novelty of playing in a sandbox surrounded by snow!
Have fun in your outdoor kitchen this spring!
