Big Game Hunters Mud Kitchen with Working Tap – Kid’s Wooden Outdoor Play Kitchen

Product Information

Messy play is vital, but we don’t often encourage it for fear of the inevitable tidying up. The best mud kitchens provide a great alternative to playing indoors - a safe space for your child to mix potions and throw water about without restriction. Chat to your child about what they'd like to see in their mud kitchen but remember they can add their own extras and that's all part of the creative play. Your child may have siblings or friends over to play with the kitchen so make sure you take the time to give this some thought. We have the TP Muddy Madness one. It has an oven, a hob, a mini water butt and a sink. Bugger to build but looks great and my daughter loves it. Very sturdy and has taken a beating but still looks great.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user Debbiewest0) Our verdict

Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in that time, we've investigated, tried and reviewed thousands of products. If you’re limited on space in your garden, this wall-mounted ‘bolt-on’ makes a great alternative to a free-standing mud kitchen. It comes with a starter set full of pans and a whisk, so your kids can get creative straight away. The water butt and large sink are also ideal for washing and rinsing away. Sliding Surfaces Sliding drawers and play surfaces are also a fantastic feature. They allow more room to play by extending the kitchen surface. This makes them more suitable for multiple children to use. Sliding surfaces allow for the product to adopt a more compact size when the product is not in use. Many units will also hide the sink of the product when the panel is retracted which discourages children from using it when playtime is over. Encourages creativity: 'Mud can be moulded and decorated and it responds differently than sand, clay or play dough.' Getting hands-on with tactile materials also stimulates imagination and encourages artistic play. My daughter has the Chad Valley one from Argos... it's brilliant, she got it for her birthday in the summer & absolutely loves it” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user TellerTuesday4EVA)Space: The room in your garden or yard should be essential to your decision. Measure the area you have in mind; maybe it’s near the outdoor tap or the storage for the soil, sand and toys needed, and compare it to the mud kitchen that’s caught your eye.

Imaginative play has the benefits of fostering creativity by allowing children to act out situations they wouldn’t be able to in real life (not just yet anyway!) Our own mud kitchens are made from premium heat treated fir wood. This gives them a classic natural wood look which you will see from our photos looks terrific in the garden. The idea is to use primarily mud or sand to play with but kids can also use anything they can find outside such as leaves, flowers, twigs, pebbles and more. As the mother of two children, Erin and Neve, our writer Lucy was determined to provide honest and independent advice on the fantastic mud kitchens your little ones will love using.

Key specs: Size: H105 x W127 x L90cm | Material: Wood | Accessories included: Metal bowl | Age suitability: Three years and over | Assembly time: Not specified What we love: This fantastic kitchen has a clever working tap, two large chalkboards, a realistic four-ring hob and ample storage space. It also comes with robust stainless steel accessories that are fun to use and can be hung from handy hooks. How much you spend on a mud kitchen depends on your budget and what features you require in a mud kitchen.

Environmentally friendly! Made with FSC certified wood, meaning the wood for this mud kitchen was responsibly sourced. We were surprised at how great the wood was once made, it's solid timber and looks like it would last.” (Brand recommended by Mumsnet user BunnyBerries) Our verdictIf you’re someone who likes to get your money's worth, this budget-friendly mud kitchen is not only big enough for two children to play together, but it also comes with a wide variety of play accessories. The three pans and two kitchen utensils are all made from rust-free stainless steel to protect them from the elements. Remember we've got lots more ideas for everyone to enjoy in our family garden ideas feature. Why are mud kitchens beneficial? Mud kitchens are designed to be used outdoors, making them more robust than indoor play kitchens. From piling up pots, pans and bowls, to ‘cooking’ their mud pies on the hob, some mud kitchens even have working taps too, meaning the opportunities to express themselves are pretty endless. Members of the Mumsnet community agree that a sturdy mud kitchen with lots of fun accessories is a great way to keep their children playing happily in the garden. So, we weighed the toys their toddlers have played with and loved, which they wholeheartedly recommend. Their experiences, including weatherproofing and cleaning advice and the mud kitchens which suit children of all ages, have informed our choices of the outdoor toys you should invest in. Expert opinions