My daughter has the Chad Valley one from Argos... it's brilliant, she got it for her birthday in the summer & absolutely loves it” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user TellerTuesday4EVA) For children, the summer holidays are all about playing outdoors with their toys. Kids love getting grubby in the garden, digging in the soil, collecting leaves and generally enjoying the freedom of playing outside — and a mud kitchen is one way to allow them to safely explore this urge. As the outstanding balance, plus the interest now form part of your payable balance they will attract interest Generally speaking, cedar is considered the best wood for a mud kitchen, followed by pine. What is the best price for 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!)

Fine motor refinement: Depending on the tools you provide and features of your mud kitchen, kids can work a variety of fine motor skills

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Organic topsoil followed by organic potting soil are some of the best dirt options for mud kitchens thanks to its soft feel and gut friendly organic material. If you’re limited on space in your garden, this wall-mounted ‘bolt-on’ makes a great alternative to a free-standing mud kitchen. It comes with a starter set full of pans and a whisk, so your kids can get creative straight away. The water butt and large sink are also ideal for washing and rinsing away. Most mud kitchens are recommended for 3 year olds and up due to CPSC standards, however as long as your mud kitchen is sturdy, without any loose nails/screws or choking hazards you could allow younger toddlers to enjoy the fun as well. Dimensions: 43 x 96 x 108; Material: Wood; Age range: Unspecified What to look for when choosing a mud kitchen? Linseed or tung oil: a generally nontoxic easy way to create a water barrier over the wood; though you will need to re-oil every now and then

Beyond that, most kids enjoy playing with mud kitchens up to 7 or 8 years old; some even longer if they have younger siblings still interacting with it. Do kids play with mud kitchens? A selection of treated wood (quantity will depend upon the size of the mud kitchen you plan to make) Of course, you want to make sure there aren't splinters and your mud kitchen is in good shape (no rusty nails/screws coming loose). Additionally, you want to make sure young toddlers aren't eating things they aren't supposed to. Mud kitchens provides hours of messy play and are a great time for your budding muddy chef to whip up batches of pine-cone soup and mud pies! The creative ideas are really limitless to your child's imagination! A mud kitchen is essentially about cooking up grubby fun. Your kids can sauté leaves, oven-bake mud pies and wash up after your garden gnomes have devoured the meal.Key specs: Size: 160 x 66 x 116cm| Material: Wood | Accessories included: Stainless steel pots and pans; gardening tools; perspex screen; glass pens; wind chimes | Age suitability: Three years and over | Assembly time: Unspecified What we love: For the most budget friendly mud kitchen, we love the idea of Costway Kid's Wooden Mud Kitchen that you can then customize with hooks, knobs, plant pots, and even a real running faucet sink; though assembly on this is pretty tough.

Messy play is vital, but we don’t often encourage it for fear of the inevitable tidying up. The best mud kitchens provide a great alternative to playing indoors - a safe space for your child to mix potions and throw water about without restriction. Buy square, not round bowls (too hard), and cut squares out of coffee table - needs electric saw, borrow one if necessary. While Dr. Maria Montessori never created a formal mud kitchen herself as one of her teaching materials, mud kitchen's do fall in line with many of Dr. Montessori's beliefs with early childhood development. They are easy enough to make if you have the time and are DIY orientated.” suggested by Mumsnet user onedsrightnow We have the TP Muddy Madness one. It has an oven, a hob, a mini water butt and a sink. Bugger to build but looks great and my daughter loves it. Very sturdy and has taken a beating but still looks great.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user Debbiewest0) Our verdictThese 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. The idea is to use primarily mud or sand to play with but kids can also use anything they can find outside such as leaves, flowers, twigs, pebbles and more. Not only do we have stand alone childrens mud kitchens, but we also have accessories that can be attached to your TP playhouses, or even the side of your house. These accessories come with lots of the same great features as our full mud kitchens but give you the option to add them to an existing frame.

So, if your kid frequently changes their mind about what kind of play business they're running (one day it's a bakery and then next it's a sweet shop, for example), you'll be relieved by the flexibility of this mud kitchen. Key specs: Size: 110.5 x 43 x 90.5 cm | Material: Wood | Accessories included: Large splash tub | Age suitability: 18 months and over | Assembly time: Unspecified What we love:Gross motor skills: For younger toddlers, standing and manoeuvring around a mud kitchen can offer a chance to build your child's larger muscle groups and balance The slide over wooden cover creates an extra cooking zone when extended. Room for up to 3 children to play Since children play at a mud kitchen you'll want an outdoor paint that is Greenguard Gold certified and as nontoxic as possible. What is the best wood for mud kitchens? So what is a mud kitchen? Well, as the name suggests, it’s a kitchen full of mud. But, instead of it being in your home, it’s an outdoor kitchen specifically made for mud fun. Your little ones will love making mud cakes, potions and other creative projects right from the garden. What are the benefits of muddy play?