Entertain young children for hours with this collection of innovative and creative activities that all use one free, natural, kid-approved material--mud! Sophie Pickles, founder of the parenting blog Sophie Pickles and head of Early Years content creation at Mrs. Mactivity, is here to usher in a new era of playtime with mud kitchens: an outdoor play area perfect for art projects, games, imaginary play and experiments that use mud and other natural supplies to get kids outdoors and away from screens, engaging with their senses. Children will fall in love with the immersive, sensory experience of playing and interacting with mud, while at the same time learning foundational aspects of science, math, engineering, art and technology as they mold different shapes, mix mud with other supplies, decorate it and more. Sophie's mud kitchens are a breeze to set up, with lots of helpful advice on where to place them and what materials to mix for optimal mud. They're also safe for all ages thanks to an easy to swap out taste-safe mud recipe for younger children. And the additional supplies needed for each project are minimal and can all be found around the house or backyard, making activities economical and eco-friendly. With such an array of projects to choose from, kids will strengthen all sorts of important early development skills while having fun. Artistic projects like Natural Mud Art and Mud Mandalas help children express their creativity and develop fine motor skills. Hands-on projects like DIY Wormery teach biology concepts, while games like Mud Cafe help kids practice sharing and communication skills. Recipes like Mud Pizza are fun to make and teach early math principals as children measure and divide their creations. With such a unique, fun and natural approach to STEAM and sensory play, kids of all ages will fall in love with the endless possibilities in their mud kitchen.

Includes index.

Making a mud kitchen -- Before you begin -- Mud kitchen cooking -- Small world play -- Mud art -- Messy games -- Muddy STEM play.

Pickles is here to usher in a new era of playtime with mud kitchens! These outdoor play areas are perfect for art projects, games, and experiments that use mud and other natural supplies to get kids outdoors and away from screens, engaging with their senses. The mud kitchens are a breeze to set up, and Pickles provides helpful advice on where to place them and what materials to mix for optimal mud. Supplies needed are minimal, and can be found around the house or backyard. -- adapted from info provided