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Home » Activities » Outdoor » How to Build a Mud Kitchen in Your BackYard

How to Build a Mud Kitchen in Your BackYard

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure .

A mud kitchen is a really fun way outdoor play activity that will keep kids busy for hours. Don’t be afraid of the mess, we have ideas for that part, too. Mud Kitchens allow children to use multiple senses, storytelling, and imagination while exploring, playing, and creating. 

Most of the items for your mud kitchen are at your fingertips in your home. So, an outdoor mud kitchen is also easy and inexpensive to put together. I did include links to Amazon for your convenience. I also highly recommend visiting local consignment shops for all sorts of interesting and inexpensive materials for a mud kitchen.

How to Build a Mud Kitchen in Your Backyard

Plastic items are obviously the cheapest option but not super environmentally friendly. Also, remember that you can always wash the items used in your child’s mud play. Don’t be afraid of the mud pies!

The first step to building a mud kitchen is to find the ideal spot in your yard. It doesn’t have to be big but having your mud kitchen in a visible spot is helpful as you can go about your day while your child enjoys playing. Oh, it is also helpful to be near a water source. 

Outdoor Mud Play with Kids

Kitchen Items for a Mud Kitchen

Kitchen pretend play is a fun activity with a real-life practical application! Perfect, right? Kids learn basic practical life skills on their own terms while exploring and creating. Plus the stories that come out of kitchen pretend play is full of imagination! 

  • Cheese grater
  • Sifter
  • Strainer 
  • Empty condiment bottles
  • Baster
  • Mixing spoons 
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Citrus juicer 
  • Funnels 
  • Mixing bowls (nice to have tops with the bowls to allow for an open and close activity)
  • Dish soap
  • Water pitcher
  • Cooking with Kids Set 

Food Items for Mud Kitchen

  • Food coloring
  • Vinegar(definitely dilute with water!)
  • Baking soda (Get a ton! My kids go through a ton of baking soda when playing!)
  • Rice
  • Pasta

Mud Kitchen for Kids

Home Repair & Household Items for Mud Kitchen

  • Paintbrushes 
  • Tool Set
  • Watering Can
  • Shaving Cream
  • Sponges
  • Spray Bottles

Items for Mud Kitchen

How to Organize your Mud Kitchen

You will definitely want to find a good storage and organization approach to your mud kitchen. Otherwise, entropy will take over quickly and fiercely. 
  • Bins
  • Buckets
  • Baskets
  • Play Kitchen
  • Sand & Water Table

Art Supplies for Outdoors

  • White glue
  • Tempera paint
  • Tempera paint sticks
  • Tempera discs
  • Sidewalk chalk


About Marnie Craycroft

Marnie hails from Maine where she spent summers buried in sand and winters buried in snow. She is the daughter of a nearly four decade veteran of the public school systems. Teaching has always been a part of her life. She founded Carrots Are Orange in 2010.

Carrots Are Orange is a Montessori learning and living website for parents and teachers.

Marnie graduated from Wesleyan University in 1999 with a BA in Economics. She spent nearly a decade working in investment management. In 2006, she earned her MA in business from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.

Marnie moved to the west coast in 1999 and currently lives in Boulder with her husband and three sons. She is Montessori trained. Her work has been featured on Apartment Therapy, Buzzfeed, PBS Kids, BabyCenter, the Melissa & Doug blog, Huffington Post, and WhattoExpect.com. Besides writing, passions include running (usually after her three sons), photography, and outdoor adventures.

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