mud kitchen

[sophia36]

I'm really interested in making a mud kitchen for the children in the garden as they all LOVE LOVE LOVE getting mucky!!

I haven't got the faintest idea how to go about it though so I would love to hear your ideas

[Milli147]

http://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_...the-daddy.html

Take a look at this - there are some lovely pictures that might help.

(and I will just add that I think you are very brave.......)

[Helen Dempster]

Ooooh I LOVE this!!!! Am looking in my garden as we speak wondering where I could put such a brilliant resource. At the moment, I have a section of the garden at the back that's just purely for the children to dig in, but the kitchen idea - oh, I want, I want

[francinejayne]

We have a mud kitchen, the children love it, and to be honest it is not as messy as people think! I set ours up last summer, and since thence have moved it in the garden and changed things slightly. You do have to be prepared for a bit of mess, but the children soon learn the 'rules' and have loads of fun!

Here is a link to my blog with our first mud kitchen on it.... http://jumpingbeanschildminding.blog...e-kitchen.html

But as you can see from the following link, I quite like mud..... http://jumpingbeanschildminding.blog...l-mud-day.html

You do need to warn the parents though!

I just used old bits and pieces, it is surprising how you can make one for absolutely no cost at all! The children will love you for it!

[Chimps Childminding]

OMG I couldn't do with the mess Do you supply spare clothes or just have very understanding parents? I'm sure mine would go ballistic Lovely idea and one I am sure I would have loved as a child, I was well known for playing in the mud and digging up worms, but I must be getting old I freak if the sand doesn't stay in the sandpit

[francinejayne]

OMG I couldn't do with the mess Do you supply spare clothes or just have very understanding parents? I'm sure mine would go ballistic Lovely idea and one I am sure I would have loved as a child, I was well known for playing in the mud and digging up worms, but I must be getting old I freak if the sand doesn't stay in the sandpit

I have waterproof all in ones for the younger ones, but the older ones do seem to be able to not get completely covered in mud, they 'cook' with it and make all sorts of concoctions and somehow it doesn't seem to get all over them! The children's parents are very understanding, and I make it clear to all prospective parents that we do get messy - I have even put this on my childcare profile!!! My CM friend has cared for a little girl who wore designer clothes all the time (she is 2!) and mum wasn't impressed when the little girl's hunter wellies got mud on them - I could not work with a family like this, I would be on edge all of the time! I do wash the children's clothes after particularly muddy play so I am not passing the really bad clothes back to the parents, they are all very thankful for this and I don't mind doing it as I'm washing my son's clothes anyway!

[sophia36]

Thanks guys, I'm all fired up now and can't wait for the weekend so I can get started!

Millie147 and Francine thanks for the link to the pics plenty of fab inspiration.

My parents are all used to their children being returned to them wearing the days 'fun'!! Today an awful lot of fun was had and i had to resort to washing their clothes before they went home!

Not quite so much fun was had by myself though when i discovered a little one (who's teething quite badly) had had such an explosive nappy that it had travelled up to his shoulder blades!