emily emmons

After spending hours looking into mud kitchens, notably impressed by the handy work found on Etsy; I realized, I am the one interested in a counter, my kids are interested in dirt. After reading Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods a couple years ago, I have learned to cherish the messy, weedy edges of our backyard. Because my kids cherish the messy, weedy edges of our yard.

To be honest, my kids do not need encouragement to dig in the dirt. But I knew a mud kitchen would add to their imaginative play and realized it didn’t have to be the big production I found on Pinterest and Etsy.

The 3 Step ($15) Mud Kitchen

1. Determine where you are going to let your kids run wild, dig and create in your yard. Make sure they know the boundaries (if any).
2. Buy a Bucket – We chose a Home Depot 5-gallon bucket ($4.48). But a 2-gallon bucket ($2.88) may be more suitable for smaller children or any bucket you have already!
3. Buy Utensils – Take your kids to your thrift shop of choice and let them pick out some utensils! We chose a funnel, spatula, whisk, potato masher, rolling pin and spoon.