MUD KITCHEN - EDGEWICK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Mud Kitchen revamp project

Working alongside a Primary School to improve the engagement of children (in nursery and reception) in their outdoor Mud Kitchen. The project started in May with initial discussions on how to revamp the learning space in a way that is beneficial to the children, and workable for the adults. I returned to the school in late September/ early October for four days to decorate.

The fence was painted rainbow as the children will be learning these colours. Rainbow strips of coloured cellophane were also attached to the fence. This was to add colour to the back of the mud kitchen but to also act as a sensory stimulant for the children when the sunlight caught the colours or the wind got them to move. I made three blackboards and installed them so that children could draw their mud kitchen discoveries and adults had a reusable way of writing 'recipes' down for children to follow.

The teachers wanted as much involvement from the children in the mud kitchen as possible so that it was theirs. Bird feeders where decorated by the children and hung in the big tree adjacent to the kitchen to encourage wildlife into the space. A handprint mural was also made on the back of the mud kitchen so that each child and adult involved in the school's early year's programme had made their mark. The theme for the mud kitchen was wildlife, and so the handprints where turned into different types of birds to complement the bird feeders that sat above it.

This was such a lovely project to work on with such inquisitive children and pro-active staff.