I wanted to title this “our mud kitchen” but I had to stop myself. This is really still a work in progress, but Gizmo has had fun playing here so I like it.
Part of our morning routine now is to go outside in the morning. I put a load of laundry in and Giz helps me or just starts playing in the yard; I let her decide. While I’m waiting on the clothes I sit out with her or follow her as she looks for bugs in the grass. She also started showing an interest in making mud pies and that made me set up an area where she could do that easier. Now whenever she wants to do that everything is ready for her.
Giz even being willing to play with mud is a change that only came about this year, in years past getting even a speck of mud on her made her freak out a little!
The Kid has always been mud friendly and I’m really glad that Gizmo is now too- I think playing in the mud is a really fun part of being a kid. Giz does make me wash her hands frequently but at least she’s able to get her hands dirty first.
This works pretty well as a makeshift sink. I got this drink dispenser ages ago from a niece of mine but it’s always leaked for some reason. That won’t be an issue in this case because any water that leaks goes into the bucket underneath. I have to push the button down for Gizmo but the Kid is able to use it quite well on her own now.
I never thought of letting the girls use my old cups and plates outside but I got the idea from Pepperpaints. I really love this because I know that these won’t break down with the hot Texas sun the way the plastic kind do.
outside cooking spot
This is our cooking area for now but we may put a stove out here if I can find a second hand one that I like.
So far only Gizmo has shown an interest in this spot but I’m curious about how the Kid interacts with it next week during Spring break.
You can’t really tell from the picture but I’ve placed this set up right next to where my mint grows. There’s always plenty so I think it’ll be a fun addition to the kitchen play when it finishes coming in.
