The document discusses the benefits of a mud kitchen area for children's play and learning at forest school. It explains that a mud kitchen allows children to use their senses and role play using mud, pots, and pans. While the messy play can be daunting for some, proper supervision and an understanding of potential risks can help ensure children's safety. The mud kitchen is assessed as part of the forest school's regular risk assessments. Overall, the mud kitchen creates a safe but adventurous environment that can boost children's confidence and expression through less structured outdoor play.

1. Lets have fun in the mud kitchen!
Introduction Connecting with nature
Assessing Risks
References
For further information please contact Nichola Sharratt at
nsharra1@stu.chi.ac.uk or visit the University of Chichester.
Student Number 1507881
What is a Mud Kitchen?
Adventures within a Mud Kitchen Conclusion
Forest school has many aspects of learning through play and the area
that will be focussed on for this poster will be the mud kitchen.
The mud kitchen is a popular area of play and allows children to play
uses all their senses. This poster is aimed at practitioners within the
early years setting as not all can see the potential in outdoors play
and the learning that takes place through being outdoors and
becoming messy. As Solly (2016) explains that children will interact
different outdoors to when they are within four walls.
Mud kitchen is an area set up as a kitchen within the forest school with
mud, kitchen pots, pans and utensils for play. Knight (2011) suggests that
Earth is everywhere and that mud is many colours and is often a part of
outdoor play. Children often role play in this area and use the mud and
leaves for their creations.
Practitioners and parents of children make their own judgements of a mud
kitchen being too messy to play in but practitioners encourage all outdoor
play with a safe and positive experience. This ties in with the self-efficacy
theory, where Bandura (1977) refers to personal judgements of how well
someone can perform actions in specific situations.
The forest school has a stream that runs alongside the mud kitchen where children
can access water for their play. Which is where the children take delight in adding
water to the earth to form mud (Knight 2011) The children work as a team by tying
rope to a bucket, lowering it into the water to fill the bucket and lifting it back out.
The forest school has many plants and it is important for the children to have
teaching on the berries that are safe to pick and eat in their play. The red and black
berries that grow together can be picked but the red berries that grow on the plant
called the ‘lords and ladies’ cannot be picked as they are poisonous.
These types of play by playing by a stream and picking berries come with risk and
are integrated within the risk assessment
Doherty, J. and Hughes, M (2014) Child Development Theory and Practice 0-11. 2nd Edition.
Harlow: Pearson
Early Education (2012) Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage [online]
http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/07/Development-Matters-in-the-Early-Years-
Foundation-Stage.pdf
(Date accessed 28/09/2017)
Early Years Careers (2016) ‘Creating a mud kitchen for your outdoor area ’
http://www.earlyyearscareers.com/eyc/enabling-environment/creating-mud-kitchen-outdoor-area/
(Date accessed 31/10/2017)
Ewer, A.W. 1989 chapter 6 – models and theories in outdoor adventure pursuit in Ewer, A.W.
Hodgson, C. and Bailie, M. (2011) ‘Risk Management’ in Berry, M and Hodgson, C. (Ed)
Adventure Education: An Introduction. London: Routledge, pp 46-62.
Knight, S. (2011) Risk and Adventure in Early Years Outdoor Play: Learning from Forest Schools.
London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Solly,K. (2016) Another World. Nursery World - Early Years in School. pp 14–15.
Mud is a messy play but enabling children to experience this can open their thinking and allow them
to learn through play. Some practitioners struggle with messy play, but with knowledge from the
forest school leader and understanding of the possible risks at the start of every forest school
session, practitioners feel more equipped for the play and children are less likely to become hurt.
Knight (2011) explains that children will learn through trial and error which will inevitably lead to
some risks but with adult supervision this can be kept safe enough so that children still listen and
respect their boundaries.
If it has been raining in forest school, the mud becomes very wet and slippery and the children are
suited in waterproofs and boots to avoid slipping over or getting wet and cold.
Forest school requires practitioners to listen to the forest school rules as well as the children so they
are reminded of how to keep safe within the grounds. It is important that practitioners ask questions
or for help if they are unsure along with the children as this will keep a safe environment for all
adults and children and avoid accidents from occurring.
According to Hodgson and Bailie (2011) Practitioners have to manage and control risks and safety
measures should be implemented. For example, practitioners will have to consider how safe an
area is, even if it initially appears safe. It could be that children are having fun exploring the mud but
rubber mats could be placed down to control the slippery floor; but to also talk about using
equipment safely and the importance for following rules.
In Conclusion, the mud kitchen is a safe but
adventurous environment due to forest school
having regular supervision and risk assessments.
The mud kitchen allows children to be more
expressive in their play in a different environment
which could boost confidence. As is explained by
Solly (2016) that quiet children find ways for
expressing themselves and confident children
become more focused in a less structured space.