How To Create An Outdoor Play Kitchen

Wild onion and dandelion stir-fry, anyone?

How about some ground acorn lavender cake? 😋

My girls (7 and 10) had been busy building their “houses” over by Fairy Creek, but I didn’t know it looked like this! Suddenly I’m 6 again, gathering berries with my friend Krissie and making cakes with them and “salad” with the kitchen scraps my mom would let me play with.

Our children are really capable of using their own imaginations and creating all on their own if just given the time and space.

And we don’t have to lose our sense of wonder, no matter what age we are. 💛✨

“By letting our children lead us to their own special places we can rediscover the joy and wonder of nature.”

— Richard Louv

Here are some tips for creating an outdoor play kitchen:

1) Select a spot in the yard that’s shady or in a place that won’t get mowed (deck, patio, etc). This allows your child to set up a more permanent space they can return to without worrying it’ll get ruined.

2) Provide your kids with some elements to “build” the foundation of their kitchen. Depending on their age, you can help them or not. Concrete blocks, crates, wooden boards, tree stumps. A wooden board set across the top of two concrete blocks makes a great countertop!

3) Raid your own kitchen! Are there muffin tins, measuring cups, wooden spoons that are looking kinda tired? These are perfect to pass on to your kids! (And a great excuse for a ‘lil trip for you to Target or Williams-Sonoma - ha!) For younger kids, use non-breakable, although I do trust my girls with some glass bottles in their kitchens.

4) Head to your local Goodwill or thrift store. These places are treasure troves of stuff that are perfect for play kitchens! My girls save up their money to buy some things for their kitchens, and you can get a LOT for $5! Recently, they got hard plastic cups, colanders, a mini metal bundt pan, a mini saucepan, and some wooden spoons.

5) Show them what grasses, leaves, flowers, etc are OK to use. If there’s anything in your yard/space that’s not safe for kids to play with, obviously show them that. And make it clear that NOTHING is for actual consumption - just for pretend! For example, I let my girls pull off any leaves and flower petals as long as they don’t destroy the plant and if it’s anything beyond that, they have to ask.

6) Set them free! Let their imaginations soar, and give them time to play. We’ve had children of ALL ages do this for hours and hours on our land, from toddlers to teenagers. Don’t hesitate to swing by and visit the kitchen or restaurant too - they’ll probably love preparing some dandelion mud cakes for you. :)

“Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.”

— Richard Louv

Here’s an Instagram Reels I did of their outdoor play kitchen…

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A post shared by Christine Marie Bailey (@organicstine)

So….who wants to come play?! 🙋🏻‍♀️